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CAMPING 

AND 

CAMP COOKING 



BY 

FRANK A. BATES 

(MatasisoJ 

AUTHOR OF " GAME BIRDS OF NORTH AMERICA," STORIES OF 
LAKE, FIELD AND FOREST," ETC. 



BOSTON 

THE BALL PUBLISHING CO. 

1^09 



<* 



Copyright, 1909, 
By The Ball Publishing Co. 



A portion of this first appeared in a different form in 
the columns of " The Amateur Sportsman & Sportsman's 
Magazine," and thanks are due the publisher of that 
magazine for permission to republish. 

The chapter on cleaning fish was written specially for 
this volume by Mr. Leslie F. Bosworth. It needs no 
eulogy. 



LIBRARY of CONGRESS 
Two Copies Received 

APR 19 100s 

CLASS G± XXc, No, 



Go ms jftfenfc 

FRANK W. BRETT, M.D., 

THE COMPANION OF MANY CAMPS, AND THE FRIEND 

OF MANY DAYS, 

THIS LITTLE BOOK IS 

AFFECTIONATELY DEDICATED 

BY THE AUTHOR 



INTRODUCTION 

Vacation time brings to many the desire for 
out-door life, as a refreshment for mind and body. 
There seems to be a strain of wild blood in the 
most of us, that impels us to leave the haunts 
of man, occasionally, and getting out into the 
wildwood, to live close to nature for awhile. 
The expense of summer hotels and camps deters 
many, and the cost of hiring professional guides 
for those who wish to get rid of the formalities 
of such resorts and do not know how to care 
for themselves, prevents others. 

There are many who like to leave their work 
for a few weeks and go to the woods or lake- 
side. They have neither the time nor the in- 
clination to adopt the life of the professional 
trapper who lives by the chase and sleeps on the 
soft side of a slab. They want rest; they wish 
for pleasure; they require three square meals a 
day, and they want the food well cooked, not 
too full of ashes, and not too different from that 
to which they have been accustomed for the other 
7 



8 INTRODUCTION 

forty-nine or fifty weeks of the year. To this 
class, the business man, the clerk, the mechanic, 
to every one who wishes to camp out and does 
not know how to do it and still keep his self-re- 
spect, this book is addressed. 

It is the result of an experience of over twenty 
years, during which the writer has spent many 
months in the woods, and fitted out many other 
parties for their summer vacations. Over the 
camp fire, while discussing methods with other 
campers, or instructing the learner " how to do 
it," he has been asked many times to put his ideas 
into shape for publication. Here they are, and 
it is his hope that everyone who takes this little 
book with him to camp, may enjoy himself to 
the limit. 

Frank A. Bates. 



CAMPING OUT 



CAMPING 

CHAPTER I 

CAMP OUTFITS 

A camping outfit should be light and compact 
with all unnecessary articles eliminated and all 
needful ones included. That reads a little funny, 
but it is the gist of the whole question and the 
biggest question that was ever presented to a 
man. That is, you will think so when you are 
trying to get a ioo-pound outfit over a swampy 
carry on a rainy day and while laying up over 
a spell of wet weather afterward. In the first 
place, you wonder why you brought so much 
truck, and in the second place, why you did not 
bring many other things. So it seems needless 
to say that the composition of an outfit depends, 
to some extent, on the individual taste of the 
camper, and more upon the character of the trip. 

No sane man would carry the same amount of 
" duffle " on a walking trip that he would if he 
ii 



12 CAMPING 

went with a team, or if he was to be in a per- 
manent camp during the whole of his trip. 
Hence, I propose to classify them into two sorts 
— walking trips and permanent camps. But be- 
fore I set down the list of impedimenta I want 
to moralize a little. 

I confess that I enjoy the comforts of life, and 
as many of the luxuries as my purse or circum- 
stances will allow; and while I have enjoyed 
many tramps with nothing but what I could eas- 
ily carry in my knapsack, I enjoy one much 
better if I have more conveniences, and very few 
vacationists care to " rough it " too much in the 
short time they have for their annual trips, and 
there is no need to do so. 

One of the finest woodsmen and grandest of 
men, " Nessmuk," has written a book which is a 
criterion for the man who can stand that kind of 
trip; but what sort of a vacation do you suppose 
a city clerk would have if he patterned his trip 
after this model ? The question was not needed ; 
he simply would not try it; for the average city 
clerk is not so big a fool as he appears to the 
average country dweller. So let it go at 
that. To get back on our trail again. A party 
would not need the same outfit in July that he 
would require in October — and while there is 



CAMP OUTFITS 13 

no sense in sleeping cold at night because of a 
lack of blankets, there is also no use for a sleep- 
ing-bag for a July camping trip, and in this 
judgment of the actual necessities is where the 
average camper fails. 

The majority of camping parties occur in the 
warm season when game birds and animals are 
protected by law, and there is no need for a gun, 
but most men will confess to a feeling of greater 
security when there is a firearm in camp. A 
light revolver will serve all purposes to drive 
away marauding animals or to while away a dull 
hour at target practice, and a little practice will 
render it thus available. 

In the fall of the year the fishrod will be re- 
placed by the shotgun and rifle, but it is always 
well to have a line and a few hooks in the ditty 
bag. A few fish will make an acceptable change 
in the diet, even if a deer hangs at the tent door. 

The following lists have been compiled from 
the experience of many years in fitting out parties 
for the woods and are intended to cover every- 
thing that is needed and with the idea that the 
man who reads them knows but little about the 
subject and wants to know all about it; and as 
parties will vary in number of persons compos- 
ing it, I have individualized the items. 



14 



CAMPING 



OUTFIT FOR A TRIP OF TEN DAYS ON FOOT SUM- 
MER OR FALL. 

For the Party. 
Light tent Fry pan 

Light axe Coffee can 

Camera Tight can for con- 

Camp kettle densed milk 

Clothes, bedding, etc., for each man. 
Rubber poncho Mosquito net 



Heavy blanket 
Cloth bag for pillow 
Some small cloth bags 

for provisions 
Pack strap 
Whetstone 
Map 

Rod, reel and line 
2 dozen flies 
2 dozen hooks on gut 
Suit of woolen clothes 
Wool outing shirt 
2 suits of underwear 
Soft hat 

2 pair extra socks 
Shoes 

2 handkerchiefs 
2 towels 



Belt and knife 

Pocket knife v 

Compass 

Watch 

Tin plate 

Fork, large and small 

spoon 
Tin cup 

Pipe and tobacco 
Matches 

Waterproof matchbox 
Insect repeller 
Cake of soap 
Comb 
Needle, thread and 

buttons 
Pencil and notebook 
Money in small change I 



CAMP OUTFITS 



15 



Y2. pint brandy and Ja- 


1 ounce Tinct. Rhu- 


maica ginger 


barb 


Food for 


Each Man. 


5 lbs. hard bread 


y A lb. tea 


7 lbs. ham, bacon or 


After September 1st 


pork 


add a sleeping bag, 


2 lbs. dried fruit 


gun and 50 cartridges, 


2 cans condensed milk 


and omit the fishing 


y 2 lb. salt 


rod and reel, but carry 


2 lbs. sugar 


a line and a few hooks. 


1 lb. coffee 





OUTFIT FOR TEN DAYS IN PERMANENT CAMP 
SUMMER OR FALL. 

For the Party. 
To the previous list add: 



Broiler 

Baker 

Iron bean-pot 

Stew pan 

Camp stove if you 

wish 
Bucket 

4 tin plates for service 
4 glass fruit jars for 

butter, etc. 



Lantern 

Candles 

Laundry soap 

Soap powder 

50 ft. Y^-'m. rope and 

some twine 
Kit of tools 
Nails and screws 
Boards for table 
Canoe or boat 



i6 



CAMPING 



For Each Man. 
To the list of clothes, etc., add : 
Rubber boots Another tin plate, cup 

Table knife and spoon 

Food per Man. 



2 lbs. crackers 
5 lbs. flour 

3 lbs. meal 

y 2 lb. baking powder 

4 lbs. ham, bacon or 
pork 

2 cans corned beef 
I lb. dried fruit 

3 cans fruit 

3 cans condensed milk 



I lb rice 
I qt. pea beans 
y 2 pk. potatoes 
I qt. onions 
y 2 lb. salt 
i oz. pepper 
I lb. butter 
3 lbs. sugar 
I lb. coffee 
Y A lb. tea 



In regard to the cooking apparatus much can 
be said. There is a golden mean between bare 
necessity and absolute convenience, that must be 
estimated by the character of the trip. When 
walking, with the lightest possible amount of 
"duffle," a tin plate may be used to cook every- 
thing that cannot be spitted or baked in the 
ashes. For a camp kettle on a walking trip I use a 
common tin pail with riveted ears to hold the bail. 
Do not let the water boil out of it while on the 



CAMP OUTFITS 17 

fire. Throw it away when you get to the end 
of the trip. In permanent camp this is replaced 
by a " graniteware " kettle, which forms the ve- 
hicle for many a savory stew and chowder, be- 
sides the more plebeian potato and onion. I pre- 
fer this form of kettle, even if it be a little cum- 
bersome, for if the water boils away, as it 
sometimes will in spite of all precautions, you 
will not be left with a bottomless dish. 

The coffee can may also be a tin pail, but in 
whatsoever form it may be, see that it is so made 
that it can be hung over the fire. Eschew all 
patent contrivances for making coffee; they are 
a delusion and a snare for the feet of the un- 
wary, and utterly unnecessary. The tight can 
for condensed milk is a necessary thing when 
moving about; to prevent waste a screw top is 
best. 

The fry pan is an important part of the out- 
fit, but not the most important. In it may be 
cooked the entire food for the party — meat, fish, 
bread and even the coffee. But look out that 
it is of a convenient pattern for transportation. 
Get a ten-inch thin iron pan, with a socket on 
one side for a temporary handle, or have the han- 
dle entirely removed, and fit it with a portable 
handle to screw to the side. This detachable 



18 CAMPING 

handle may be used to lift any dish from the fire. 
But because you have a pet fry pan, with auto- 
matic accessories, do not become a slave to it. 
Use the broiler on all possible occasions. The 
stomach of the camper will stand many severe 
strains, but it will finally rebel if treated to too 
much grease. Use as little of this lubricant as 




Fry pan 

possible, and you will be surprised at the small 
quantity needed. 

The remainder of the kit, with the exception 
of the baker, needs no special comment; and of 
that piece of apparatus, I have long been in 
doubt whether it was a desirable article for the 
camping outfit. 

Personally, I never use the baker, as I prefer 
to bake my bread in the fry pan, and my fish I 
roll in wet paper or leaves and bake in the ashes. 
With a desire to advise those who disagree with 
me, I wish to say that I was with a party who 
used an oven which accompanied a cooking out- 
fit, and it worked nicely. In fact, the whole ap- 
paratus was without reproach, and was evi- 



CAMP OUTFITS 19 

dently the result of practical experience. If I 
could afford it, and had the room for its trans- 
portation, I should use one just like it, when I 
had a large party to provide for, as it saved time 
and some trouble; but it was no better than the 
more primitive method of the " bean hole," 
which will be discussed later. 

A rubber blanket of some description is very 
necessary, and I prefer the poncho with a slit 
in the middle to enable it to be put over the 
shoulders in case of rain as well as to lay be- 
neath the blankets while sleeping, to keep off the 
dampness of the earth. If this pattern cannot 
be obtained have two eyeletted holes made in 
one edge of a rubber sheet, far enough apart so 
so that it may be looped around the neck. The 
ordinary blanket may be of any character that 
is desired. I use a light wool blanket together 
with a light cotton blanket, both double and un- 
cut, for summer use, and a regulation sleeping 
bag for cooler weather. The latter may be made 
of oiled duck lined with the summer blankets, 
or with one or more quilted puffs made of cal- 
ico and cotton batting. 

The cloth bag — size of a pillow case — is a 
very convenient article to be filled with leaves or 
fir spills ; this, however, is not indispensable, for 



20 CAMPING 

a good pillow may be extemporized of a pair of 
shoes with a person's outer clothing laid over 
them. The small cloth bags will be found con- 
venient in packing remnants of food, sugar, cof- 
fee, etc., which is so easily scattered by the or- 
dinary paper packages becoming broken. 

Now a word in regard to clothes. Eschew 
caps, helmets and straw hats, and wear a soft 
felt hat, the softer the better ; it will stand rain, 
will not get broken, will keep the sun out of the 
eyes and can be used for a multitude of pur- 
poses from acting as holder for a hot pan or 
kettle to stopping a hole in a stoven boat. Can- 
vas clothes are a delusion; they make a lot of 
noise in the brush and are uncomfortable when 
wet. Wear a suit of old woolen clothes with a 
light flannel shirt; no vest is needed. These 
garments are comfortable and warm, even when 
damp, and are easily dried. Look out for your 
feet; wear good, solid leather boots, and change 
your socks every night, washing out and drying 
each night the pair worn during the day. This 
little attention to the comfort will prevent sore 
feet on a long tramp. The remainder of the ar- 
ticles seem to explain themselves. Never wear 
new boots. 



CAMP OUTFITS 21 

FOOD. 

There now remains the question of food, and 
it is the most difficult of all to handle, since there 
is such a diversity of taste. I have endeavored 
to apportion the ration to a healthy man's appe- 
tite and have considered that there will be more 
or less fish, game, berries, etc., gathered by the 
party. If there is no one who can cook, of 
course food must be procured already prepared. 
But it seems very improbable that some of the 
party will not take sufficient interest in this most 
important requisite of camping to secure infor- 
mation from his feminine relatives or friends, 
and practice sufficient to enable him to make a 
good cup of coffee, a respectable flap- jack and to 
fry a pan of fish. With the materials set down 
in the list, with what fish, etc., will be brought 
in, an ordinary camp cook will, in a permanent 
camp, supply a different menu nearly every day 
in the week. For instance, a party of three 
would be provided with 18 pounds of meat for 
ten days; this would include 3 pounds ham, 4 
pounds bacon, 5 pounds salt pork and 6 pounds 
corned beef. The pork would be used in bak- 
ing beans and frying fish, and the others for 
broiling and hashes, while flap- jacks, johnny- 
cakes, pan-cakes, rice and fruit puddings could 
be concocted from the list. 



CHAPTER II 

CAMP SHELTER 

One of the foremost considerations which con- 
fronts the camper is shelter ; for upon it depends, 
to a large extent, his health and comfort. Of 
course, the character of this shelter depends upon 
many things: individual preference, location of 
the camp and facilities for transportation. But 
the first consideration is a tight roof and pro- 
tection from cold winds. 

He is a poor woodsman, indeed, who in a 
forest cannot provide himself with protection 
from the weather. But every man who wishes 
to camp is not a woodsman, and is the man 
who is looking for advice. Woods frequenters 
sleep many nights with nothing but the blue can- 
opy of heaven for a roof, and men have camped 
for weeks with only a square of canvas for a 
" dog tent." But although I have tried both 
plans and thoroughly enjoyed myself, I must 
confess that I hanker for a good wall or 
shanty tent when the winds blow cold or the rain 
2.2 



CAMP SHELTER 



23 



falls wet, and these things we must always ex- 
pect. 



THE WALL TENT. 



If camp is located where transportation by 
team or water is available, when the temperature 
is above freezing, carry a wall tent, with a fly. 







Wall tent 

It admits of better ventilation than an A tent, 
gives more head room for the sleeper and weighs 
but a trifle more. By all means do not omit the 
fly. Without this, in a driving rain, the water 
will beat through in a fine spray and dampen 
everything inside. Moreover, it is almost im- 
possible to avoid hitting the canvas, sometimes, 
and the result is that whenever the wet cloth is 



24 CAMPING 

touched from the inside it will start a leak unless 
the canvas is very thoroughly waterproofed. 

In pitching a tent, select a suitable site, on 
top of a little knoll if possible, with the ground 
as level as may be. Do not under any circum- 
stances pitch it in a hollow or gully where the 
water will run in. Clear off the brush, remove 
all bunches from the ground and carefully pitch 
the tent. See that all is clear before raising and 
that the guys hang evenly and run smoothly. 

Next, dig a trench about six inches deep all 
around the outside, and about six inches from 
the canvas. Be sure not to neglect this precau- 
tion or you may awake in a puddle of water, 
which is not conducive to a happy frame of 
mind. Also remember that dampness will con- 
tract the cloth and ropes; so before you go to 
bed, slacken the guys a little or, if it rains in 
the night, you may awake with a tent pin flap- 
ping about your ears, the cloth torn 'or the tent 
blown down. 

SHANTY TENT. 

If there are only one or two in the party, and 
especially if weight is a consideration, a " shanty 
tent " is desirable. One which I have just com- 
pleted is 6 ft. high in front and 2 ft. high in 



CAMP SHELTER 



25 



back, 7 ft. long, 6 ft. wide, with fly. No poles 
are needed if there are trees, for the head rope 
which goes across the front at the top is stretched 
between, two trees and the tent guyed from that. 
The front of the tent may be lifted for an awn- 




Shanty tent 

ing, when not needed to close the tent, by sup- 
porting the canvas on poles. With this tent 
there is sufficient length for a tall man, width 
enough for two to sleep comfortably and room 
enough to stow the " duffle," while there is suf- 
ficient head room at the rear to afford good 



26 



CAMPING 



ventilation for a small party. I prefer this pat- 
tern of tent to all others for the reason that there 
is less lost space in ratio to the weight, with more 
convenience, than in any other style known to 
me. 

THE DOG TENT. 

Now, so far as a substitute for a comfortable 
tent is concerned^ there is a wide range for 




Dog tent 

choice. When traveling rapidly on foot, with as 
little impedimenta as possible, a simple square 
canvas, furnished with loops at two sides and 
large enough to shelter a man, will amply suf- 
fice. When the time arrives to make camp a 



CAMP SHELTER 



27 



pole is lashed across two trees or supported on 
crotched sticks, the canvas is thrown across it 
and pinned down by the side loops and the camp 
is ready. If you wish to shut up one end cut 
some evergreen boughs and stick them thickly in 
the ground at that end ; this will break the wind. 
Build your camp fire in front of the opened end 
and you will be comfortable. 



THE LEAN-TO. 

If you desire to travel lighter still, or are 
caught in the woods without shelter, a few min- 
utes' work will suffice to build a " lean-to." To 
erect this structure find two trees about four to 




28 



CAMPING 



six feet apart, or drive two poles into the ground. 
Lash another pole across them about five feet 
from the ground for a ridge pole. Cut five poles 
about eight feet long and lay across this, with 




Another Lean-to 



*^ 



one end resting on the ground to form the roof. 
Cover these poles with bark, laid shingle fash- 
ion, or with a thick layer of evergreen boughs. 
It is astonishing how heavy a rain a bough roof 



CAMP SHELTER 29 

will shed if properly laid on. Now stick some 
poles at the two sides, with the tops lashed to 
the side roof poles, wattle in some brush and 
you have a camp that will keep you dry and 
with a good fire in front will be as warm as a log 
house, for the heat of the fire is all reflected down 
by the slanting roof. 

If you have no time for so elaborate a con- 
struction, cut a pole, rest one end in the crotch 
of a tree, the other on the ground. With this 
for a ridge pole lean up poles and brush on each 
side till you have room for your shelter. If you 
have no axe to cut a pole, find a leaning tree or 
a fallen log, or even a boulder, and pile brush 
against it, having first thrown down a lot of 
boughs for a bed. This sort of a structure is 
capable of infinite variation. 

THE LOG HUT. 

Sometimes in cold weather it becomes neces- 
sary to have some shelter more substantial than 
a tent or even a bark shanty, especially when a 
prolonged stay is to be made at some central 
place. A log hut will provide for this, and when 
timber is plenty can be made with no other tools 
than a narrow axe. Do not be too extravagant 
in your idea of size. A small building is more 



30 CAMPING 

easily kept warm than a large one and a house 
8xio feet will shelter four men. 

Cut straight logs about 8 inches in diameter. 
Nine logs n feet long for the back; three logs 
ii feet long, and sixteen logs 4 feet long for the 
front; eighteen logs 9 feet long for the ends. 

Clear a level place free from brush and lay two 
1 1 -foot and two 9-foot logs on the ground in 
the form of a square, with the ends of the logs 
notched to hold them in place, with notches deep 
enough so that the next log when similarly 
fitted will lie snugly on top. Now proceed to 
pile the logs up like a cob-house, notching each 
log at the corners and using the long logs for 
the back and two of the short logs for the front 
to provide for a door in the center, where the 
ends of the logs should be held by a pole on 
each side. When the short logs are used up put 
on the long ones. The logs of the front and 
back should be laid with the butt and top al- 
ternated to keep them level, but the ends of the 
camp should have the butts all laid toward the 
front to form the pitch of the roof and those 
with the greatest taper should be selected for the 
ends. 

For the roof, cut poles 13 feet long, lay them 



CAMPING 31 

lengthwise and notch them into the top logs 
of the ends. Then cover with birch or hemlock 
bark. Lay poles across to prevent the high 
winds from displacing it and throw on evergreen 
boughs to break the force of the rain. 

If it be desired to have a pitch roof cut short 
logs to fill in the gable ends and hew down the 
pitch to the desired angle. Fill all crevices with 
moss, grass or clay. A door may be made of 
slabs split from a cedar tree and hung on leather 
or rawhide hinges. 

For fittings build two bunks of poles across 
the narrow end and fill them with fir browse. 
There will be room enough to stow personal be- 
longings at the foot of the bunks and they will 
add to the warmth. If a camp stove is used 
place it at the back opposite the door and run 
the pipe through the roof. If no stove is used, 
make a fireplace of rocks laid up in clay and 
have a hole in the roof for the smoke to go out. 
If dry wood is used the smoke in the room is 
not offensive, for a very little fire will warm 
the place as much as i3 desirable. Do not use 
cedar wood for the fire, for the sparks will fly 
all over the place. 

If desirable, many elaborations of this build- 



32 CAMPING 

ing can be made. If a chimney is desired build 
it of stones and clay and build the wall into it, 
so as to leave the chimney half inside and half 
outside. 



CHAPTER III 



GENERAL ADVICE 



In preparing for camp, one of the most im- 
portant questions to be settled is the choice of 
companions. Nowhere will human nature be 
developed as in the camp, where quarters are lim- 
ited and when there is no opportunity to get out 
of the way and stamp down " that ugly feeling " 
that the best of us have at times. If there is a 
single bristle on a man's back it will rise on an 
uncomfortable rainy day in camp. If a man is 
a gentleman he keeps his coat on and it bothers 
no one but his own conscience ; but a surly grum- 
bler, a gourmand who must have just what he 
wants to eat, irrespective of how much trouble 
it may make, or a selfish, lazy man, will disturb 
the feelings of all the rest. 

And a word of advice here. Constitute one 
man, the best-posted and most equal-tempered 
man in the party, as captain; and when a man 
makes himself obnoxious and will not be rea- 
soned with, let the captain call assistance, if 
33 



34 CAMPING 

necessary, and either cool him off in the nearest 
lake or quietly escort him to the nearest point 
of embarkation and bid him a long farewell; 
at all events, remember next year that he is not 
eligible for membership. 

Make the party small (four is enough, three 
is better), for many reasons. There is less 
chance for argument, crowding is avoided, and 
transportation facilitated. If the party is neces- 
sarily larger, divide it up into squads, so that the 
man in charge of the party may not have all 
his own fun spoiled in attending to the needs 
of others. Make one man paymaster and do 
not ask him to shoulder the whole expense of 
the trip, but make an estimate of the cost and 
hand over your share in advance. Then when 
the trip is over, cheerfully settle up, and if you 
are not wholly satisfied, do not put up a kick, 
but swallow the dose and remember it the next 
time. 

More than that, always remember that life is 
too short to grumble or fight, and if any camp- 
mate makes himself too obnoxious, get rid of 
him, or manage to get a letter calling you home 
on important business. You go to camp to get 
needed rest and escape the fights of a busy life, 
and no man has a right to interfere with an- 



GENERAL ADVICE 35 

other's pleasure ; always provided that the other 
party behaves like a man himself. 

Now let us suppose that you have procured 
your outfits, selected your camp ground, and 
have arrived at the place. Set to work quickly 
to select a site for the tent, and get it. ready 
for occupancy at once. All hands take hold 
under the direction of your captain, and the 
work will all be over in a short time. Pitch the 
tent and get your beds ready; make a fireplace 
and get wood for a fire, so the cook will be able 
to tend strictly to his cooking. If Joe or Tom 
grabs his rod the moment it is taken from the 
conveyance, unless he is so ordered by the cap- 
tain, just insert your fingers under his coat col- 
lar and politely kick a little sense into him. 

When you get your first meals do not give 
way to the abnormal appetite always generated 
by fresh air and exercise, but eat moderately un- 
til you get accustomed to the changed conditions, 
and thus avoid a multitude of ills. It is disgust- 
ing to a sensible man to see a campmate gorge 
himself and then wake everyone in the small 
hours of the night groaning with colic. A sick 
man in camp is a nuisance at the best, and if 
the sickness is caused by the sufferer's own fault 
he will hardly get much sympathy. 



36 CAMPING 

Again, if you have any liquor in camp, put it 
in the hands of the most level-headed man in 
the party, and use it only moderately. I am not 
preaching a temperance lecture, but the use of 
liquor should be in moderation, if used at all. 
When drinking, hunting and fishing go together, 
the hunting and fishing get poor attention. 

The first night that you are in camp will 
probably be destitute of many of the conven- 
iences, for you seldom get well settled. About 
all that is really necessary is to get the beds 
well established and a light supper prepared. 

The next day, get all the camp luxuries fixed 
up. Make some hooks on the trunks of the 
nearest trees to hang the odds and ends on. 
These may be nails, or they may be forked twigs 
pinned to the wood. Sort out the provisions and 
put them where they will keep sweet and dry. 
Do not lay the pork on the sugar bag, nor the 
salt against anything else. 

The beds are of prime necessity. If you must 
economize on anything, let it not be on the 
bidding. If you are where you can get plenty 
of fir or spruce boughs, you have the finest bed 
in the world. Cut a large supply and spread 
them over the sleeping place. Start with the 
larger pieces and lay a row along the head of 



GENERAL ADVICE 37 

the bunking place. Then work toward the foot, 
lapping them like shingles till the bed is at least 
seven feet long. Next start again at the head 
and put on another layer, forcing the butts down 
into the first layer. Continue this process, using 
smaller branches with each layer, finishing off 
with the fine tips on top. Make this bed as thick 
as you can, for it will settle with use. When 
you have nothing else to do, put some more fir 
tips on the top. Lay the rubber blankets on 
this, and make up each man's blanket separately, 
so that he can easily crawl into it and cover up, 
without disturbing the others. 

If " fir browse " is scarce or absent, make a 
pole bed. Cut four sticks with a crotch at one 
end. They should be at least three inches in di- 
ameter. Force these into the ground so that the 
head and foot of the bed shall be about seven 
feet apart, and so placed that poles of about the 
same size shall lie across the head and foot. 
Across the poles lay other smaller ones close to- 
gether till the frame is wide enough to accommo- 
date the party. On this foundation lay the brush 
or dry leaves. 

When nothing else is available, and I am in a 
camp that is to be permanent, I generally buy a 
bale of cheap hay, if I can get it. There is gen- 



38 CAMPING 

erally a farmer who can supply it, or it can be 
obtained at the point of disembarkation and 
brought in with the luggage. This may seem 
fussy, but I am supposed to be writing for the 
benefit of people who are accustomed to soft 
beds, and who come to camp to enjoy themselves. 
If you wish to " rough it," spread your blanket 
for one night on the ground beneath the starry 
sky. The next night you will have a bed made. 

A convenient bed is made of a strip of can- 
vas, 63^2 feet square, doubled and sewn together 
at the sides, with the ends open. When you put 
it up, drive four crotched sticks into the ground 
at the four corners and stretch on poles placed on 
these crotches. 

The next important adjunct is the camp fire. 
It seems almost superfluous to tell a man how 
to build a fire, but it is an old saying, that " It 
takes a wise man or a fool to make a good fire." 
I take it the reader classes himself as neither. 
The cooking fire will be the most important. If 
you have flat stones, lay up a fireplace, placing 
the stones close enough together so that the 
fire will play all around the kettle, and with a 
space long enough to hang two pots. It is a 
good idea to have a low place in front wide 
enough to set on the fry pan, and high enough so 



GENERAL ADVICE 



39 



that you may haul the live coals between them. 
This will save you holding the pan in your hand 
all the time you are using it. 




Matasiso Stove 



If you are in a permanent camp where there 
are plenty of rocks, build a pier of stones about 
three feet high, leaving a hollow in the center for 
a fireplace, which may have a bottom of turf. 



4 o CAMPING 

This device will save a good many back aches. 
Make the fireplace at the back a little narrower 
than the fry pan, and wider at the front. On this 
you may boil your potatoes, make your coffee, 
and fry your fish at the same time. The rocks 
will hold the heat, and food may be kept warm 
while waiting, if care is taken to have the stones 
on the top flat and level; in fact, I have often 
stewed fruit, etc., with the dish on the edge of 
the fireplace. 

In temporary camp, cut three logs, about a foot 
in diameter ; lay one for a back log, two for side 
logs, build your fire on top with small stuff, and 
when it falls in coals you have a convenient place 
to set your fry pan, coffee can, etc. 

Remember that a small fire is better than a 
large one. With the latter you cook your face 
more than your food, and there is more liability 
of spoiling the cooking. , 

Hard wood is better than pine or spruce; the 
coals are what you want, and the longer they will 
remain hot the better for the cook. By no means 
use hemlock or cedar, as the sparks fly all over 
everything, burning the towels and the cook, 
soiling the food and setting fire to the surround- 
ing dry leaves. 

Although I prefer " frying pan bread," I want 



GENERAL ADVICE 41 

an oven to bake beans, fish, etc., and construct 
it as follows : Dig a hole in the ground, prefer- 
ably on the side of a knoll ; line it with rocks, if 
possible ; build a fire of hard wood within it and 
keep it up for a half hour at least, till the rocks 
or the surrounding earth is very hot; rake out 
the coals and ashes, leaving three to four inches 
of live coals and ash in the bottom. Put in 
whatever you have to bake, cover with the ashes. 
The length of this operation will depend upon so 
many conditions that it will be impossible to set 
a time, but a little experience will soon settle 
the question. 

The evening camp fire is a great comfort, and 
is an altogether different proposition. Select a 
place in front of the tent, and some ways from 
it, and place a big log, or pile up several smaller 
ones with stakes to hold them in place, for a 
back log. Build the fire in front of it. Start 
the bottom with fine dry chips, branches, or 
shavings, place larger dry branches on these and 
top off with good sized pieces. After it is well 
alight, it will consume damp or even green wood. 
The back log will reflect the heat into the tent, 
and will hold the fire for a long time. 

Supposing that you wake in the morning with 
a steady rain pouring down. Do not try to 



42 CAMPING 

make a shift with " cold grub." That is the 
time you need a warm meal. Put your rubber 
blanket over your shoulders, and go out. If you 
are wise, you will have prepared a store of dry 
soft wood, which will be stored in the tent, but 
if you have used it up or have neglected this 
precaution, hunt up a pine log or a dead pine 
tree, and chop off the outside; you will find 
plenty of dry wood inside. Rake open the ashes 
in the camp fire, where you will probably find 
plenty of live coals, put on your dry chips, cover 
with pine, fir or spruce boughs, blow up the fire 
and you will soon have heat enough to keep the 
tent dry, and coals enough to cook by. It will 
take a pretty hard rain to put out a good fire if 
once under headway. 

If there are any mosquitoes, as when are there 
not, fasten the netting over the opening of the 
tent. Hard wood splinters will do the trick. 
Keep this netting in place as much as possible. 
It is much easier to keep these pests out, than to 
get them out afterwards. If these insects are 
too troublesome use the Insect Repellent freely. 
There are numerous preparations which can be 
purchased ready made. The most of them an- 
swer the purpose very well. But if you wish 
to make it yourself, the following recipe, fur- 



GENERAL ADVICE 43 

nished me by Dr. L. O. Howard, the U. S. En- 
tomologist, is easily mixed and very good. 

INSECT REPELLENT 

2 oz. Oil of Citronella 
2 oz. Camphor 
1 oz. Oil of Cedar 

The recipe furnished by " Nessmuk," one of 
the best old sportsmen that the country ever 
knew, is made as follows: 

PUNKEY DOPE. 

Pine Tar 3 oz. 

Castor Oil 2 oz. 

Oil Pennyroyal . . 1 oz. 

Simmer the tar and castor oil together; when 
well amalgamated add the oil of pennyroyal, and 
set to cool. It is well not to have the mixture 
too warm when the pennyroyal is added, because 
it may evaporate, and it is the real life of the 
mixture. Bottle and cork it tight. Use copi- 
ously and you will have no trouble with the pests 
of the woods. It is equally efficacious for black 
flies, mosquitoes or horse flies, and will do no 
injury to the skin. Please wash your hands, 
however, before you mix the bread. 



CHAPTER IV 

CLEANING FISH 

The remarks that follow are intended for the 
novice in the Waltonian pursuit, rather than for 
the experienced angler or camper, the latter prob- 
ably knowing from experience how to care for 
and dress his catch to his own satisfaction, and 
probably in a better manner than the writer ; but 
for the benefit of the uninitiated I will attempt 
to describe what I consider, after several years' 
experience in the sport of Uncle Izaak and the 
care of the results, the best methods of pro- 
cedure. 

One of the most important points to be consid- 
ered is, What means shall we employ to insure 
our fish being in good condition on our arrival 
at camp or at the point where the catch is to be 
cleaned. 

The angler who fishes the stream can, of 
course, only put his fish in the creel, but if the 
sun is bright, a layer of damp moss will prevent 
44 



CLEANING FISH 



45 



the fish from drying, which is of the utmost im- 
portance. But to the boat fisher the ensuing re- 
marks are of salient value. It has been my ex- 
perience that if the boat used has not a fish- 
well built in it, it is best to use an open-mouthed 




Fish-bag 

knit fish bag, made of extra heavy cotton cord 
with an inch mesh, which can be hung over the 
shady side of the boat, thereby keeping the fish 
in their native element, and generally alive for 
a long time, away from the sun. This is of the 
utmost importance, as the sun has a very detri- 



46 CAMPING 

mental effect on the fish, oftentimes softening 
them so that dressing them in a presentable or 
skillful manner is out of the question. The re- 
sult of this is generally more bones in the frying 
pan than fish. 

We have now arrived at the point where the 
fish, after having furnished sport for the angler, 
are of no use until some of the party displays 
his skill with the knife, and the speed and results 
exhibited by one who will take pains to render 




Fish-knife 

himself thoroughly conversant with the following 
instructions will be a revelation to the man who 
spends an hour in cleaning a dozen fish for his 
supper. 

After landing, the first question often asked 
is, " Who has a knife ? " and everybody pulls one 
out, ranging from a penknife to an 8-inch hunt- 
ing knife, neither of which, in my mind 2 is worth 
a last year's bird's nest, for reasons which we 
have not here space to explain. After trying 
all shapes, kinds and sizes, I for my own use 
prefer the shape shown in the cut. 



CLEANING FISH 47 

This may be made out of a good pocket knife, 
by breaking its back and fitting a hardwood strip 
in slot for blade and winding the entire handle 
with strong twine. 

The advantage in the blade being at an angle 
is in its tendency to always cut deeper into the 
flesh, instead of coming out of the cut, thereby 
enabling the user to make long, clean cuts down 
each side of the dorsal fin, which can then be 
removed entirely, leaving none of the annoying 
small bones to cause an inelegant flow of lan- 
guage on the part of the hungry sportsman and 
numerous cuts on thumb and forefinger. 

After seeing that your knife has a keen edge, 
pick out a firm-fleshed yellow perch from the 
bag, grasp firmly in the left hand, belly down, 
the hand being closed firmly along the sides to 
prevent the sharp points of the gill covers enter- 
ing the hand. Make a cut crosswise at the nape 
of the neck, insert point of knife in cut and run 
entire length of fish, each side of the dorsal fin, 
which can then be removed entire by catching 
the lower end between the thumb and knife blade 
and pulling quickly upward toward the head. 
Then grasp the flap of skin at the nape between 
the thumb and the point of the knife and pull 
outward and downward, tearing the skin from 



48 CAMPING 

the side down nearly to the anal fin; repeat this 
on the other side ; then grasp in the same manner 
the skin on the under side as near the vent as 
possible, so that both sides may be removed at 
the same time, and tear quickly down to the tail, 
the anal fin nearly always coming off with the 
skin ; pull off the head and the entrails will come 
with it, the whole operation requiring five cuts 
with the knife and eight motions of the hand, 
and less time than it takes to tell it. 

In dressing white perch, first scale them thor- 
oughly, which operation consists in holding knife 
blade at an angle of about ioo degrees to the 
skin of the fish; press lightly and by a series of 
quick, short, scraping movements from the tail 
toward the head, remove all the scales thor- 
oughly. The dorsal fin is best removed as in 
dressing yellow perch. Next, with fish in left 
hand, belly up, make a downward cut from di- 
rectly back of the pectoral fins to a point just 
back of the gills; insert point of knife into this 
cut and run entire length of belly, continuing 
down one side of anal fin, make a cut on the op- 
posite side and remove the fin entire; turn the 
fish over, sever the neck at the nape, and the head 
and entrails will be removed as in previous case. 

Pickerel should be thoroughly scaled, and af- 



CLEANING FISH 49 

terwards cleanly scraped with the knife until the 
slime is entirely removed, leaving the fish nice 
and white, which takes away all the disagree- 
able muddy flavor so common in this fish. Fins 
should be removed as in previous cases. 

Of all fish that the novice may be called on to 
dress, the Hornpout, bullhead, or Eastern cat- 
fish, as it is variously called, will probably give 
him the most trouble. The best and quickest 
way is to remove fins by cutting down each side 
and tearing out ; cut the entire length of the belly 
to a point a little beyond the vent; then sever 
the head from the body from the under side, 
without cutting the skin ; grasp the body with the 
fingers of the left hand, take the head in the 
right and a quick pull will take off head, skin 
and entrails entire, if a little care is taken in 
starting the operation. 

Of all fresh-water fish the trout is the easiest 
to dress, no knife being needed. Remove the 
gills and entrails with the thumb and forefinger, 
wash thoroughly, and the fish is ready for the 
pan. 

In closing, a word to the camper. Never use 
fish that have lain in the sun or have begun to 
soften. They are not only less palatable than 
freshly caught fish, but at times positively dan- 



50 CAMPING 

gerous to the health. Take all such fish, chop 
them up and take them, with the entrails and 
other refuse of the cleaned fish, out to the fish- 
ing ground and throw them overboard. If this 
is done daily at the same spot, especially if near 
some sunken ledge, you will be able to catch a 
dinner there at any time, as the fish will con- 
gregate there in large numbers. This is called 
ground-baiting. 



CHAPTER V 

WHAT TO DO IF LOST IN THE WOODS 

Every man who goes camping in the woods, 
at a distance of more than five miles from civil- 
ization, and does what nearly every man does do, 
i. e., " take a walk to see the country," is liable 
to miss his way and if he is not lost, the camp 
is. I have talked about this with a few people 
who have been in that unenviable position and 
the answer to the question is difficult and varied. 
" You just can't tell what you would do." You 
may theorize all you choose beforehand, but when 
the time comes and your brain is bewildered, you 
would take the most solemn oath that your com- 
pass is wrong. It is a most horrible sensation 
to find that you do not know how to get out of 
the woods, with perhaps miles of almost trackless 
forest before you; the one safe place, perhaps, 
is only a short distance away, but you do not 
know where that way is. 

I have roamed the woods for thirty years, 
51 



52 CAMPING 

sometimes being in camp from May ist to De- 
cember ist. I have hunted summer and winter 
in strange localities, as naturalist, sportsman and 
surveyor, and while I do not know as much 
woodcraft as I wish I did, I have had some ex- 
perience in getting lost — and finding myself 
again ; in fact, I have a faculty for getting lost. 
When I am following a rare or unknown bird I 
endeavor to keep my eye on it, irrespective of 
the direction in which it may take me, sometimes 
across country and often in circles, and when I 
get ready to resume my quiet path I know not 
where I am. So I have adopted a positive 
maxim: "Whatever you do, do not get rat- 
tled and lose your head." 

I often have had to caution a "novo" who 
looked to me for instruction in the woods, to re- 
member the above every minute, and to add to it 
" Always carry a compass and never think that it 
lies." Most people have heard of local attrac- 
tion in the compass, and they always think they 
have found it. There is only about one per cent, 
of the country that will show anything of the 
kind and even then it would not deflect the needle 
enough to carry the traveler far astray. If it 
were deflected, the needle would keep you from 



WHAT TO DO IF LOST 53 

wandering in circles in which lies the greatest 
danger of being lost. 

Now supposing that you are camping on the 
shore of a lake in the woods, and you want to 
look over the neighborhood. Your first duty is 
to look at a map of the locality, if you have not 
already done so, so that you may have a general 
idea of the characteristics of the surrounding 
country; especially of the trend of the hills, the 
locations of streams or roads or the direction of 
the coast or lake shore, as compared with your 
camp. If you cannot do this do not go. 

When you find that you do not know where 
you are, and you are positive that the sun is 
setting in the east or in some other impossible 
quarter, endeavor to make up your mind as to 
where you are within a radius of five miles, and 
think in which general direction lies some river, 
road or other landmark, and then set up a stick 
or blaze a tree in that direction. If it is not too 
late in the day, make up your mind in which 
direction you ought to go, set your compass, 
take a bearing on some prominent tree or other 
mark in that course, and go to it. If the woods 
are so thick that you cannot pick out a mark, 
set up a peeled stick or blaze a tree once in a 



54 CAMPING 

while so you can look back and see your trail. 
When you have gone as far in any direction as 
you are certain o favour course, lay it out again, 
always by compass, and you will come out some- 
where at a place that you will recognize as lead- 
ing to some known point. 

If it is late in the day, do not wander around 
in the dark, but pick out a comfortable place, cut 
some boughs to lie upon and to build a lean-to; 
gather fire-wood enough to last through the 
night or as long as you want it to, and make 
yourself as comfortable as possible until morn- 
ing. If you are fortunate enough to have some 
lunch with you, you will probably get a fair 
night's sleep. You will not starve in one night, 
and you can usually find something to eat, even 
if it is not so nice. In very few places would 
there be the slightest danger of molestation from 
any source. Next morning you may follow the 
instructions for getting out, as shown in the pre- 
ceding paragraphs. 

Methinks I hear someone say, suppose you 
have no map, compass, matches, etc. I reason 
that you are a rational being and if you have not 
these things you will not be foolish enough to 
go out. If you do not know how to provide 



WHAT TO DO IF LOST 55 

yourself with the necessary comforts, you have 
not read this book understandingly. 

In the case of a hunting party in the deep 
woods, it is the custom among the parties with 
which I have been associated, to have a " lost 
call." We generally separate in the morning to 
hunt in different sections, which are duly allotted 
beforehand, so that each member knows just 
where the other men ought to be. In case any 
one of them becomes so overcome with the ardor 
of the chase, or in the following of wounded 
game, that he does not know how to get back to 
camp, he gives the call, three shots of the rifle 
in succession. If not replied to, the lost one 
starts in the direction that he believes the camp 
to be situated, repeating the signal occasionally. 
Usually he is heard before much time has elapsed 
and is answered. If he does not show up by 
dark, a search party is formed, and he is trailed 
by the light of birch bark torches, or the lanterns. 
Seldom is a man compelled to stay out all night. 



CAMP COOKING 

The following receipts for cooking are the re- 
sult of many years' actual experience, and have 
all been tried in actual camp-life. They are all 
comparatively simple, and may be prepared by 
aid of the utensils mentioned in these pages. 
The materials may generally be easily obtained 
at the stores, when fitting out, or of the farmers 
in the neighborhood. 

It is assumed that a certain judgment will be 
exercised in the selection of rations, to govern 
the personal tastes of the various members of 
the party, and the resources of the surrounding 
country. One would not expect to have a va- 
riety of fresh vegetables in the Maine Woods ; nor 
would it be reasonable to neglect such opportu- 
nities when offered. Hence a selection is pre- 
sented, which may be presumed to fit all condi- 
tions. 



57 



" We can live without Love — what is passion but 

pining ? 
"But where is the man who can live without dining?" 

"As we journey through life, let us LIVE by the way." 



58 



CHAPTER VI 

CAMP COOKING 

There is a favorite saying in camp, that " the 
Lord sends grub, but the devil sends cooks." 
This expression is old and homely, but it is apt, 
and many times, when it is the turn of the green- 
est man in camp to get dinner, we find reason 
to consider it true. We have seen an old woods- 
man toss together a few ingredients and turn out 
a meal that would cause our stomachs to cry, 
" Encore, encore/' and we have most of us ex- 
perienced the sad results from guides who pre- 
tended to be finished cooks and had the whole 
party homesick before they had been in camp 
three days. The best supplied camp cuisine in 
the world would not keep off the " blue hor- 
rors " when in the hands of such bunglers. 

Of course, everyone must first learn the how 
to do it, and equally of course some fail to ever 
learn. The latter could not boil water without 
59 



60 CAMPING 

burning it. I well remember my own first ex- 
perience, and I remember, too, the experiences 
with some of the boys that I have tried to teach 
to cook. 

The genuine camper is, certainly, the man 
who, taking but little food with him, lives upon 
the spoils of his rod and gun. This is, in most 
cases, impracticable to the ordinary camper. In 
the first place, it takes some experience to do it. 
In the second place, but few desire to do so, and 
there is no reason why they should. A party 
can live just as well in camp as they can at home, 
if they wish to, and can afford it. And also a 
party can live on a dollar a week apiece, if they 
choose; and live well, too. 

BREAD AND CEREALS. 

Baked Bread: — Put in the mixing dish (I 
use the stew pan), i quart of flour, 4 teaspoon- 
fuls of baking powder, and a teaspoonful of salt, 
and mix together; then work in a little butter 
with the hand or mixing spoon, add cold water, 
stirring all the time, till you have a stiff dough 
without lumps. Turn it out on a plate, wash the 
dish thoroughly, grease the inside so the dough 
will not stick. Put the dough back in the dish, 
cover it with a tin plate, place it on the coals 



CAMP COOKING 61 

in the oven, and cover with the hot coals and 
ashes that you have just raked out. Leave it 
for from one to two hours. A little experience 
will be needed to know just how long to bake 
it, for a rock oven, with a heavy bed of coals, 
will bake more quickly than a hole in the ground 
with pine embers. (N. B. I use double the 
quantity of baking powder in camp, that I use 
at home, because I have found it necessary to 
obtain the desired result. Why it is, I do not 
know.) 

Spider-cake: — Mix i pint wheat flour, i tea- 
spoonful salt and 2 of baking powder. Add 
water to make a thick batter. Grease the fry 
pan, and turn in the batter; bake very slowly 
over the fire. As soon as the crust forms on 
the bottom, so that it can be moved without 
breaking, loosen it in the pan with a thin knife, 
and shake it occasionally to keep it from scorch- 
ing. When baked on one side, turn it over and 
bake the other side. (This is not called spider- 
cake on account of the insects that might fall into 
it, while in process of cooking, but because in 
olden times the fry pan was called a spider.) 

Flapjacks or Batter-cakes: — Mix 1 quart of 



62 CAMPING 

flour, i teaspoonful of salt, 4 of baking powder, 
and 4 of sugar or a little molasses. Add water 
to make a thin batter. If you have milk, it may- 
be used instead of the water, to the benefit of the 
cakes. A teaspoonful of condensed milk dis- 
solved in the water is also good. Grease the 
fry pan and drop in enough batter to make a 
thin layer. As soon as the cake browns on the 
under side, slip a thin knife or cake-turner under 
it and turn it over. When baked, take it off 
onto a plate, placed where it will keep warm : 
grease the pan again and repeat the operation. 
The best results will be obtained by keeping 
the inside of the pan smooth, and using as little 
grease as possible. This receipt may be varied 
in many ways. A mixture of corn meal and 
flour in equal parts will give variety. 

Rice-cakes and Oatmeal-cakes are simply the 
above mixture with the addition of 2 cups of 
boiled rice or rolled oats or hominy mixed with 
one-half the above quantity of flour. If eggs 
are obtainable, one or two stirred into the batter 
just before cooking, improves the cakes im- 
mensely. If whortleberries or dangleberries or 
blueberries are in season, stir in a cupful. The 
boys will like them. My experience has taught 



CAMP COOKING 63 

me that an extra quantity of berry flapjacks will 
be about the right size. Maple syrup, molasses, 
or sugar, may be used with these. 

Boiled Rice: — Wash clean 1 pound of rice, 
and put in 2 quarts of boiling water with 2 
teaspoonfuls of salt. Boil one-half hour. Take 
off and drain, cover the dish tightly and set aside 
to steam. 

Corn-meal Mush: — Have a dish of boiling 
water, salted to taste. Sift in the cornmeal 
slowly with the one hand, while stirring briskly 
with the other, until the porridge is thick enough. 
This may seem very trivial, but it takes patience 
to do it properly or it will be full of lumps of 
dry meal. Set it on one side the fire and steam 
slowly for 15 minutes. If your patience is not 
sufficient for this process, mix your meal in cold 
water to make a thick batter. Have your dish 
of water boiling, and turn in the batter slowly, 
so as not to stop the boiling. When properly 
done, and it is not so easy either, this makes a 
good dish for the camper. The remainder may 
be put one side until cold, sliced in pieces about 
one-half an inch thick, and fried in butter. This 
is improved by dipping the slices in beaten egg, 



64 CAMPING 

before frying. If the mush has not been prop- 
erly made at first } the slices will fall in pieces. 

Milk Toast: — If you have any stale bread in 
camp (as when do you not, if anybody goes near 
a bakeshop on the visit to town), make it up for 
milk toast. Put on the stew pan, with a cup of 
milk. Put in a pinch of salt, a generous lump of 
butter, and allow it to come to a boil. In the 
meanwhile toast your bread to a nice brown, and 
when of the right complexion, drop it into the 
boiling milk. 

Cereals: — Of these various preparations, 
their name is legion, and nearly all of them have 
directions for cooking, printed on the package. 
I have tried a number of them, and the receipts 
hold as good in camp as at home. This is not, 
however, a guarantee that the rule will always 
hold good. Why it is I do not know, but some 
things cannot be handled the same in camp as 
when prepared over the stove at home. 

There are various makes of prepared flours in 
the market, under as many various names. As a 
rule they are very handy to the camper, as they 
are put up in small packages, by which the ne- 



CAMP COOKING 65 

cessity of breaking out a large package is 
avoided, and they also avert some mistakes of 
omission common to men doing work they are 
not accustomed to do. 

Fils-d'une-chienne: — Fry out the fat from 
some salt pork. Soak hard-tack in water till it 
is soft. Drop it in the hot fat and cook. 

SOUPS. 

Beef Stew: — Take 1 pound of lean meat, 
wash clean, and put it in cold water over a slow 
fire. Cook until the meat falls in pieces when 
stirred; this will take from 3 to 4 hours, during 
which time there must be enough water to cover 
the meat. Now add about a quart of sliced po- 
tatoes, a small onion, sliced very thin, and cook 
until the potatoes are soft. Season with salt and 
pepper to taste. 

u 

Camp Stew: — Prepare the beef by boiling as 

in the previous receipt, except that a large onion 
is needed, and it must be added at the same time 
the meat is put on. When the meat is done, 
add the potatoes as before, and a can of toma- 
toes. Flavor with salt, pepper and curry pow- 
der. Just before serving, take some wheat 



66 CAMPING 

flour and mix with water to make it about the 
consistency of cream ; beat it together thoroughly 
so there will be no lumps ; have the stew boiling, 
and turn in the flour, which will thicken the 
liquid. This dish may be varied by the addition 
of any or all of the vegetables which may hap- 
pen to be within reach. Carrots, turnips, cab- 
bage, cauliflower, parsnips, etc., should be peeled 
and cut into dice of about a half -inch in diam- 
eter. These vegetables should be cooked a little 
longer than the potatoes. So far as the meat 
component goes, almost any flesh is suitable. 
The leftovers from the broiled steaks or chops ; 
chickens or fowls, ducks, grouse, shore birds or 
any other meat from the roast or spit; the 
greater the variety, the better the stew. If fresh 
meat is purchased, get the neck, shin, bottom of 
the round, or any of the inferior pieces in prefer- 
ence to the, so-called, choicer cuts. Although 
not so tender, they have a far richer flavor. It 
is needless to say that venison, rabbits, or squir- 
rels are adapted to this dish. 

A word of caution just here may not be out 
of place. When making venison stew, look out 
that the meat has been well bled and hung for 
forty-eight hours, if possible. Otherwise you 



CAMP COOKING 67 

will think you have been taking a dose of Ep- 
som salts. 

When preparing rabbits and squirrels, skin 
and dress, then soak the flesh in salt water over 
night. This will remove the strong flavor, which 
is obnoxious to many. 

Turtle Soup: — Parboil the meat in water, in 
which has been put a small handful of salt, for 
about a half hour. Take out the meat and throw 
away the water. Put the meat in fresh cold 
water and stew slowly till it will pull into pieces ; 
add a sliced onion and four large sliced potatoes, 
season with salt and poultry dressing (sage, 
savory, thyme and pepper or other fragrant 
herbs will do as well), and thicken the same as 
the Camp stew. This is for the common " mud 
turtle," and be it known that an unreasonable 
prejudice exists against this animal. Properly 
prepared, it is a dish for the gourmet. 

Skunk Stew: — I was in doubt whether to in- 
sert this here, on account of the prejudice that 
some people have against this animal. Properly 
prepared, it is really a delicacy. When you 
catch a skunk, of course you kill him, if you can, 



68 CAMPING 

before he explodes. If the odor is strong, hang 
the carcass over a smudge of hemlock twigs, be- 
ing careful not to scorch the fur. Skin and 
dress, being careful not to break the musk- 
glands, which must be carefully removed. Put 
in cold water over a slow fire, and boil for an 
hour, or as long as any fat will rise to the top. 
Skim off this fat and carefully preserve it in a 
bottle, against the time when the baby has the 
croup, or you yourself have a sprained muscle; 
it is very penetrating. Throw away the water, 
and boil the meat with a sliced onion in fresh 
water, till the meat will slip off the bones. Add 
sliced potatoes and season with salt, pepper, and 
a very little sage or poultry dressing. Many a 
man has become a confirmed mephitiphagist 
after partaking of the above without knowing 
what he was eating until he had finished his 
meal. 

Lob-scouse: — Boil corned beef till the excess 
of salt is out of it. Drain off the water and fill 
up with fresh water ; put any vegetables that you 
happen to have, except the potatoes, and boil till 
the meat will come to pieces ; about half an hour 
before it is done, add some sliced potatoes and 
hard bread. This is not a dainty dish, but it 



CAMP COOKING 69 

affords a variety when the stomach is cloyed 
with a hard-times diet. Start with cold water. 

Fish Chowder: — Fry out two slices of pork 
in the bottom of the kettle, and when well cooked, 
turn in 2 quarts of boiling water. Add 6 large 
potatoes, sliced thin, and cook until they can be 
broken by the mixing spoon. Have about 3 
pounds of fish cut into convenient pieces, which 
should now be put in and cooked till it will break 
in pieces. Then add 1 quart of milk and season 
to taste with salt and pepper. When it comes 
to the boiling point, break in 12 crackers. Set 
it off the fire till the crackers are steamed soft 
and serve. Some think that the chowder is im- 
proved by the addition of a small onion, sliced 
thin, and added when the potatoes are put in. 

Fish Chowder, Southern Style: — Cover the 
bottom of the pot with slices of fat salt pork; 
over that put a layer of sliced raw potatoes ; then 
a layer of chopped onions; then a layer of fish, 
cut into pieces, leaving out all the bones possible ; 
on the fish put a layer of crackers, first soaked in 
water or milk. Repeat the layers, except the 
pork, till a sufficient quantity is obtained. Each 
layer should be seasoned with salt and pepper. 



70 CAMPING 

Put in enough cold water to moisten the whole 
mass well, cover the kettle closely, and cook 
slowly for an hour or more. When it appears 
rather thick, stir it gently and serve. 

Webster Chowder: — The famous Daniel 
Webster lived in the section where my ancestors 
passed their lives, and his neighbors, for miles 
around, gleaned a portion of their sustenance 
from the contiguous waters. Many of them 
were professional fishermen and their wives were 
famous cooks in the direction of these products. 
As Webster's Chowder was a noted receipt, it be- 
ing said that he furnished the following to his 
friends, we need no excuse for its insertion here. 

" Cod of 10 or 12 pounds well cleaned, leaving 
on the skin, cut into slices of ty 2 pounds each, 
preserving the head whole; iy 2 pounds clear, fat 
salt pork cut in thin slices; slice twelve pota- 
toes. Take the largest pot you have, try out the 
pork first, take out the pieces of pork, leaving 
in the dripping; add to that three pints of 
water, a layer of fish so as to cover the bottom 
of the pot, next a layer of potatoes, then two ta- 
blespoonfuls of salt, one teaspoonful of pepper, 
then the pork, another layer of fish and the re- 
mainder of the potatoes ; fill the pot with water 



CAMP COOKING 71 

enough to cover the ingredients; put it over a 
good fire, let the chowder boil twenty-five min- 
utes ; when this is done have a quart of boiling 
milk ready and ten hard crackers split and 
dipped in cold water; add milk and crackers, let 
the whole boil five minutes. The chowder is then 
ready and will be first rate if you have followed 
the directions. An onion is added if you like 
that flavor." 

Once or twice each summer, it was the custom 
of the farmers to make up a party and go to some 
beach for a picnic. A chowder was considered 
a necessary adjunct of the festivities, and I still 
retain lively recollections of the quality of this 
toothsome dish. Perhaps it was flavored with 
the sauce of youth and hunger, but it was good 
then and is now. 

Clam Chowder: — Shuck out a peck of clams 
and add to the chowder instead of the fish. For 
those who have never learned the art of shucking 
clams, the shellfish may be put on the fire in 
a kettle, with just enough water to cover them. 
Please use hot water, turned over the clams, so 
as to avoid trouble with the Society for P. O. C. 
T. A. When the clams open their shells, take 
the kettle off the fire, turn them out into a pan 



72 CAMPING 

to cool, saving the liquor to use in the chowder. 
Shell out the clams. Make the chowder as by 
the first receipt given, using as much of the clam 
water as is necessary ; the children will take care 
of the remainder as a beverage. Do not put the 
clams into the chowder until it is nearly done, or 
they will be tough. 

Bean Soup: — Wash 2 quarts of beans, and 
either put them to soak over night or parboil 
them till the skins begin to peel off. Scrape 
clean one pound of salt pork and cut into thin 
slices. Boil the beans for an hour or longer if 
necessary, then mash the beans into a pulp ; put 
in the pork and cook slowly for another hour. 
Stir occasionally so it will not burn. Season 
with salt and pepper to taste. It is a fussy job 
to make this and not burn it, and at the same 
time have it good; but it is worth the while. 

Pea Soup: — Take a ham bone, from which 
the most of the meat has been sliced. There is 
no objection if it has been once boiled. Put over 
the fire with cold water and cook until the bone 
will slip out of the meat. Then add split peas 
and cook till soft. Have some cubes of bread, 
about one inch square, prepared, fried in lard or 



CAMP COOKING 73 

butter. When the soup has thickened, which it 
will do as soon as the peas are cooked soft, 
put in the bread, and serve immediately. 

Oyster Stew: — Half a cup of oysters 
(shucked, if you please), with a very little 
water; simmer over the fire till the beards 
wrinkle. Turn in a pint of milk, a piece of but- 
ter, salt and pepper ; let it come to a boil, stir in 
a little thickening, and it is ready to eat. Don't 
burn your tongue. 

MEATS. 

Unless camping in a game country, we seldom 
have any other meat than what may be brought 
into camp on the occasional visits to town. But 
it has been thought advisable to treat the sub- 
ject as if there were a market within easy ac- 
cess, for the benefit of those who may be thus 
advantageously placed. Deer, bear, hares, squir- 
rels, rabbits, grouse, quail and shore birds, how- 
ever, will be at times available. And as the 
acme of the camper's art is to live, so far as 
possible, off the country, due attention will be 
paid to those dishes which can be prepared from 
those products. No hard and fast rules can 
be made, for individual preferences vary to such 



74 CAMPING 

an extent that what would be luxury to the one, 
would be starvation to another. Nevertheless, it 
may be considered that all wild meats should be 
well done, except in the case of an occasional 
chop from some member of the deer family. 
With fowl, however, it is different. All dark 
meated birds should be rare done; all white 
meated birds well cooked. I consider that criti- 
cism of a man's epicurean tastes is pure impu- 
dence, if not insult. It is none of my business 
if a man wants to make a salmi of his woodcock : 
I simply deplore his taste or ignorance. 

I shall commence with what has probably been 
brought in when the party arrived, so the cook 
will not have to hunt far to know how to cook 
supper. Beef, pork, lamb, ham, bacon, sausage, 
etc. 

Broiled Steaks: — Camp is a poor place for 
tough meat; so when you buy, get something 
so that you can, at least, stick a fork in the gravy 
when it is cooked. Have a good bed of hard- 
wood coals, if possible. At any rate, have no 
smoke. Put the broiler over the hot coals and 
get it hissing hot. Then put on the steak and 
hold it over the fire till one side is seared; turn 
the other side to the fire and sear that, after 



CAMP COOKING 75 

which it should be turned back and forth till 
cooked to suit the taste. Lay on a warm plate, 
put on a liberal piece of butter, a little salt and 
pepper, and give thanks that you have been 
given a palate to appreciate good food. This 
rule applies to lamb as well as beef; to venison 
as well as to pork chops. In cooking pork chops, 
however, my preference is, to heat the fry pan 
very hot, drop in the meat, and cook till well 
done. If there is no broiler, this plan may be 
followed with any meat, but a little butter must 
be used, if there is not sufficient fat in the meat 
to prevent its sticking to the pan. But by all 
means, use as little grease as possible, and have 
the pan hot, to start with, so as to quickly sear 
the surface and keep in the juices. In cooking 
meats, in the fry pan, if there is any fat left, 
especially that from pork and bacon, turn it into 
a clean can (I use the empty condensed milk 
cans), and save it to fry fish. 

Fried Salt Pork: — Slice clear, fat pork; slash 
the rind edge, so it will not curl in the pan; 
scrape off all bits of salt or other attachments; 
put in a cold fry-pan and cook till well done. Do 
not get the pan too hot, for it will burn the 
grease, and spoil the flavor. Drain off grease 



?6 CAMPING 

and serve with hot potatoes. Good salt pork is 
smooth and dry. Damp, clammy pork is un- 
wholesome. 

Broiled Salt Pork: — Slice thin and toast on 
the broiler, the same as steaks. Or hold the 
slices over the fire, on the end of a green switch. 
Look out that the smoke from the drippings 
does not reach the meat. 

Fried Bacon: — Slice thin and drop into a hot 
pan. Watch carefully that it does not cook too 
much, or it will be hard and dry; remove each 
piece as soon as it is done and drain dry. Some 
cooks always lay the cooked meat on paper to 
absorb the grease. Do not soak in water before 
cooking; it renders it hard when done. 

Ham and Eggs: — Fry the ham the same as 
pork. When cooked, break the eggs separately 
into a cup, and drop into the hot fat. The 
white of the egg will spread out and should be 
turned up against the yolk as soon as it gains suf- 
ficient consistency; this prevents the outside of 
the albumen from becoming leathery. The ob- 
ject of breaking the eggs into a cup before drop- 



CAMP COOKING 77 

ping into the pan, is to avoid getting an ancient 
tgg among the others. 

Fried Sausages: — Cut the links apart, prick 
each sausage with a sharp fork so they will not 
burst in cooking. Place in the cold fry pan, and 
cook until well done. It is not safe to eat any 
pork product unless it is well cooked. 

Boiled Beef: — Put the meat into boiling 
water, so that it will be covered and cook till 
tender; about 15 minutes to the pound will gen- 
erally be sufficient. Use a teaspoonful of salt 
for every 5 pounds of meat, added when it is 
nearly cooked. This method will be proper for 
corned beef, also, but omit salt and use cold 
water. If the beef is not corned, just before it 
is done allow the liquor to boil away to about 
a pint, season with pepper, and thicken with 
flour; this makes an excellent gravy. If no 
gravy is desired, the liquor should be set one 
side till cool, the hardened fat removed and 
saved to fry with. Afterward, if desired, this 
liquor may be used for a foundation for a vegeta- 
ble stew. 



78 CAMPING 

Hash: — Take of boiled beef, or the scraps 
left in slicing the boiled ham, one part; cold, 
boiled potatoes, two parts. Chop into small bits, 
and warm up in the fry pan with a little pork 
fat. If desired this may be varied in several 
ways. Have the fry pan hissing hot. Put in a 
little pork fat and drop in an onion, sliced very 
fine. Stir rapidly, so it will not burn. Have 
the hash prepared, which roll into flat croquettes, 
dip in sifted corn meal and fry brown in the fat, 
from which the pieces of onion have been re- 
moved. Or, have the pan half filled with clean, 
sweet grease (lard, or beef drippings), slightly 
salted. Break one or two eggs into the hash and 
mix thoroughly; roll into croquettes or balls, 
drop into the hot fat and fry brown. The fat 
should be as hot as it can be without burning. 

Barbecued Meat: — Ribs of mutton, thin 
pieces of beef, rabbits, squirrels or almost any 
other flesh can be prepared in this manner. Lay 
your meat on the broiler over hot coals, so as to 
singe the outside immediately. After a few min- 
utes, move away from the intense heat a little 
and cook till done through, basting frequently 
with the following dressing: 



CAMP. COOKING 79 

Barbecue Dressing: — One pint of vinegar, 
half a can of tomatoes, two teaspoonfuls of red 
pepper (chopped pepper-pods are better), a tea- 
spoonful of black pepper, same of salt, two table- 
spoonfuls of butter. Simmer together till it is 
completely amalgamated. Have a bit of clean 
cloth or sponge tied on the end of a stick, and 
keep the meat well basted with the dressing as 
long as it is on the fire. The preparation of this 
dish is a lot of work, but it pays. 

Fried Egg on Hash: — Make your hash of 
meat and potato; fry out the fat from a few 
slices of pork; roll your hash, wet with enough 
water to make it stick together, into flat cakes 
large enough for a single service, and fry brown. 
Lay in a dish where they will keep warm ; grease 
the fry-pan and drop in the eggs in couples, and 
fry till the whites congeal; roll the edges of the 
white over the yolk and slip of! on to the hash 
cakes, one couple to each cake. When served, 
which should be as soon as the egg is done, break 
the yolk and let it run down over the cake. 

game. 

This word, like sweet Charity, covers a multi- 
tude of sins. I might read you a homily on the 



80 CAMPING 

sin of killing the creatures of the wood and field ; 
but I am not going to do it, for several reasons. 
First 'twould do no good, for you would keep on 
killing. Second, it is none of my business any- 
way. My business now, is to tell you how to 
cook so that you will come out of the woods well 
and hearty, and without a bad case of dyspepsia. 
With this digression, I want to start in with a 
few words of advice. In the first place, always 
bleed your game as soon as killed. The flesh of 
an animal that has not been bled is not fit to eat. 
Always let the animal heat get out of the body 
before you cook it. The fact that it will not rest 
well on your stomach is proof positive that it is 
not healthful. So unless you are on the verge 
of starvation, heed these words. Fish is the 
only meat that is not subject to this rule. 

Fried Squirrel: — The most common four- 
legged game that the ordinary camper will get, 
are squirrels and rabbits. The latter, however, 
are not suitable for food till the late summer, and 
in most sections are protected by law for a cer- 
tain season of the year. We, however, are not 
just now interested in the getting of them, but 
the cooking. Skin and dress them carefully, and 
parboil for half an hour in salt and water, to 



CAMP COOKING 81 

take out the strong flavor. Drain off the water, 
drop the meat in the pan, with a bit of butter and 
a dash of curry powder, and brown. Those who 
like the gamey flavor, sometimes soak the squir- 
rels in salt and water for an hour, wipe dry, 
and broil over the coals with a slice of pork fat 
laid over the meat to baste it so it will not be 
dry. 

Fried Rabbit: — Dress four rabbits ; parboil in 
salt and water till the bones will slip out of the 
meat. Drain off the water and fry the meat in 
butter. It is much better if the bones are all 
taken out before frying, although not at all 
necessary. 

Woodchucks, porcupines and skunks are not 
strictly game, but they are fully as edible as 
other animals, and, if properly cooked, very deli- 
cate. They should be parboiled thoroughly, and 
then roasted or stewed like any game. 

Roast Woodcock or Quail: — Dress and im- 
pale with a green stick (black birch is the best 
for the spit), and put a slice of fat pork on the 
end of the spit, so the fat will drip down over 
the bird as it roasts. Have a large quantity of 
very hot coals; thrust the stick into the ground 



82 CAMPING 

in front of the fire, in an inclined position, so 
the bird will be over the heat. Turn frequently, 
in order to cook on all sides and also to avoid 
burning. The hotter the coals, the better the 
bird, for the intent is to sear over the outside as 
quickly as possible to avoid loss of the juices. 
Any small bird, like snipe, plover or other sand- 
pipers may be cooked in the same manner. 

Rabbit Curry: — Dress two rabbits and boil 
till the flesh will come off the bones. Take the 
bones out and put the meat in the kettle with 
a large cupful of the water in which it was 
boiled. (Do not use too much of this liquor; 
it will make the curry taste rank.) Add two 
slices of bacon, cut in strips; season with curry 
powder, salt and pepper. If you have it, put in 
a small glass of Burgundy. Cook slowly for 
twenty minutes. Have dish lined with boiled 
rice ; take out the meat from the stew, and lay it 
in the dish; thicken the liquor left in the kettle, 
with a little flour rubbed up in cold water; turn 
over the meat in the dish. Serve. 

Roast Grouse au naturel: — Take out the " in- 
nards " and fill the cavity with the following 
dressing. Roll crackers into crumbs and mix 



CAMP COOKING 83 

with a little salt 4 pepper and sage; turn a little 
hot water on to moisten the crackers. Put this 
in the bird, cover with a thin slice of pork and 
sew the skin together tightly. Have a pail of 
water in which stir clay until it is of the con- 
sistency of thick porridge or whitewash. Now 
take the bird by the feet and dip into the water. 
The clay will gather on and between the feath- 
ers. Repeat till the bird is a mass of clay. Lay 
this in the ashes, being careful to dry over the 
outside of the clay, before you get it into the fierce 
heat of the fire. Bake it till the clay is almost 
burned to a brick. Rake the bird out of the fire, 
and rap the ball of clay with a stone or stick, 
till it cracks open. The feathers and skin will 
all come off with the clay, leaving the meat as 
clean as possible. This is the perfect way of 
cooking game. Any fowl or animal may be 
cooked in the same way. If you try ducks, 
woodchucks or hedgehogs chop an onion and add 
to the stuffing. 

Partridge Fricassee: — Divide your birds into 
joints and roll them in flour ; put in the fry pan a 
generous lump of butter, heat very hot and put 
in your pieces of bird. Cook for about ten min- 
utes, then add water to keep from burning and 



84 CAMPING 

cook slowly till the meat is tender. Take up the 
meat and put in a dish; turn in the pan enough 
water to make a gravy, thicken it with a little 
flour rubbed up in cold milk; salt it a little and 
pour it over the birds. 

FISH. 

There is such a difference in fish taken from 
different waters, that any general rule for cook- 
ing may lead to distaste and disappointment by 
reason of the poor quality of the flesh. Fish 
taken from sluggish, muddy waters are decidedly 
inferior to the same species taken from the cold, 
clear streams and ponds. Soaking in salt and 
water before cooking will improve these inferior 
fish, but all the preparation in the world will 
not make them taste like the fish caught in clear 
waters. Again, if you have not a fish car or 
net, or a well in the boat, by which means they 
can be kept alive till they are ready for use, al- 
ways kill your catch at once, and keep them out 
of the sun. Fish that have lain in the sun for 
a half hour are unfit for food. Reference to the 
article on Fish Cleaning, by Mr. Bos worth, will 
give you needed instructions, which it will be 
well to follow. Trusting that you have studied 



CAMP COOKING 85 

this, I will say no more on the subject, but pro- 
ceed to the cooking. 

Fried Perch: — Have the pan well supplied 
with hot fat. If there is not a supply in camp, 
try the fat out of a half-pound of salt pork. Roll 
the fish, previously skinned and well washed, in 
corn meal or cracker crumbs. If you wish to do 
it up in real fine shape, roll them first in well 
beaten egg and then in crumbs. Drop in the fat 
and fry brown, turning frequently, so as to have 
them evenly cooked. Serve hot. This rule 
holds good for all kinds of fish not over a half- 
pound in weight. If larger, either cut them in 
slices across the body, or slice the meat of the 
sides from the backbone. 

Boiled Fish: — Do not attempt to boil a fish 
under three pounds in weight. Have your water 
boiling. Put in a couple tablespoonfuls of salt, 
and drop in your fish. It is a good plan to wrap 
it in a clean white cloth, so it will not fall in 
pieces. Cook until the fish will easily cleave 
away from the bones. A three-pound fish will 
cook in half an hour or less, and about five min- 
utes for every extra pound may be considered 



86 CAMPING 

about right. But there is a difference in species. 
Too much cooking will spoil the flavor of some 
fish, the salmon for instance, or the lake trout. 
Serve with some sauce. 

Fish Sauce: — Have a quart of water boiling 
in the stew pan or the fry pan. Put in two ta- 
blespoonfuls of butter, one teaspoonful of salt. 
Mix in a cup three tablespoonf uls of flour rubbed 
up in a little cold water till the lumps are all 
broken, and it is of the consistency of cream. 
Stir this into the boiling water slowly, so it will 
not form lumps, and the sauce will thicken. Milk 
in place of the water is preferable, or half milk 
and half water. If you want a sour sauce, add 
a teaspoonful of vinegar, but do not use milk, it 
will curdle. A glass of wine in place of the 
vinegar is an improvement, especially when 
served with boiled trout. 

Baked Fish: — Take a fish of not less than 
three pounds; scrape and wash it well; prepare 
stuffing composed of cracker or bread crumbs, a 
little salt and pepper, a small lump of butter, 
seasoned with sage or poultry dressing, mixed 
with a very little boiling water; if you have eggs 
drop one in and mix thoroughly. Put the stuf- 



CAMP COOKING 87 

fing in the cavity whence the entrails were re- 
moved, not too tightly, and sew up the opening. 
Rake the hot coals out of the bake-hole, put a 
thick layer of green grass (if there should hap- 
pen to be some mint in it all the better), over 
the hot ashes, lay the fish on this, put on another 
layer of grass, rake the hot coals over all, and 
build a fire on top. Bake for an hour. If you 
like the flavor put a small onion in the dressing. 
A few slices of bacon, laid over the fish before 
covering, will improve the flavor. 

Small fish may be prepared for the table by 
baking between the layers of grass, but it will 
not take so long to cook them. In fact, when 
on a long tramp, in light marching order, 
I prefer to cook them this way, rather than to 
lug a fry pan. 

Skewered Fish: — Sharpen a small straight 
stick and take off the bark. Thrust this through 
small fish and slices of bacon alternately, and 
hold over the hot coals. They will cook in a 
few minutes. Look out that they do not drop 
off the stick at the last stage of the game. 

Broiled Fish: — Take off the heads and 
split down the back, leaving the skin over the 



88 CAMPING 

stomach intact. Lay on the broiler with strips 
of fat pork or bacon laid across, and cook over 
hot coals. Mackerel and bluefish do not need 
the fat meat, but they are by no means injured 
thereby. 

Planked Fish: — This is the quintessence of 
camp cookery, and is so easy that it is a wonder 
that more people do not use the method. Have 
a hard wood plank, large enough to hold the 
fish, laid out flat. And do not throw away the 
plank after using; it improves with use. Split 
the fish down the back, as for broiling. Tack it 
to the plank, skin side down. Skewer on strips 
of bacon, and stand up before a hot fire. Be sure 
to have a good sized piece of bacon on the head 
end, so the dripping fat will baste the fish. 
Cook until you can easily thrust a sliver into the 
thickest part of the meat. Take off the plank, 
and dress with salt, pepper and butter, and do 
not be afraid to put on enough butter. Lay on 
all you think the state of the supply will allow, 
and then shut your eyes and put on another 
piece. Serve hot. 

Baked Fish, Lumberman Style: — Take a 
fresh caught fish and rub it in soft clay from 



f 



CAMP COOKING 89 



the river bank, against the scales and gills. 
When the clay is set a little, roll the whole fish in 
a blanket of clay, till the body is completely cov- 
ered. Dry in the heat of the fire for fifteen 
minutes; bury in the hot coals and ashes till 
the clay is hard. Rake the brick out of the fire 
and crack it open with the hatchet. The fish 
will split in two pieces; the spine can be easily 
taken out ; the " innards " are shrunk to a little 
ball, which can be flipped off, and the scales are 
stuck on the clay. Dust on a little salt, and you 
have a meal fit for — a hungry hunter. 

Fried Oysters and Bacon: — (Little Pigs in 
Blankets) : — Cut fat bacon in very thin slices. 
Lay on each piece a large oyster, dust on a little 
salt and pepper, and fold the oyster inside the 
bacon, securing it with a sliver or a wooden 
toothpick. Heat the fry pan very hot and drop 
in the " pigs " and cook about four minutes. 
The bacon must be cut as thin as possible and 
the " pigs " cooked only enough to make the 
bacon palatable. Some never eat the bacon at 
all, but are contented with the flavor it gives 
the oysters. 

Fried Clams: — Shuck out the clams, select- 



9 o CAMPING 

ing the large ones. Roll them in cracker crumbs 
or in corn meal, and fry them in deep fat. 

Fish Balls: — Take the fish left over from the 
fry at dinner and pick out all the bones. Chop 
up the cold boiled potatoes, in the proportion of 
one of fish to two of potato, season with salt 
to taste; break in an egg and mix thoroughly. 
Form into balls or flat croquettes, and fry in 
deep fat. 

Baked Clams: — Build an oven of rocks, on 
bottom and sides, top left open. Build a hot 
fire and keep it burning till there is a heap of hot 
coals and ashes, and the rocks are heated through. 
Rake out all the bits of unburned wood which 
would burn and smoke the bake. Throw on a 
layer of rock-weed to cover the ashes; lay the 
clams on this, with a few ears of corn for a 
relish, cover with more weed and throw, an old 
piece of sail over the heap. Bake till the clams 
will slip in the shell. Uncover, and serve with 
melted butter and vinegar. 

EGGS. 

When they can be procured, eggs are the 
refuge for the hurried meal, or for lunch; but 



CAMP COOKING 91 

do not run away with the idea that any old way 
is right to cook them. A plain boiled egg may 
be delicious or it may be a clammy mass. Of 
course individual taste will govern the length of 
time they are cooked. A soft-boiled egg should 
be cooked 3 minutes, if dropped in boiling wa- 
ter. If wanted for a cold lunch, put them on 
in cold water and let them come to a boil, then 
cook 20 minutes. You will be surprised how 
mealy and palatable the yolk will be. Some 
people have the water boiling furiously, then set 
off the fire, drop in the eggs, cover and let them 
set 6 minutes. 

Fried Eggs: — Grease the fry pan, as if for 
cooking flapjacks. Have it hissing hot; break 
the eggs into a cup, one by one, so as to be 
sure that they are fresh; turn into the fry pan, 
and when the white, which has run out, is con- 
gealed, turn it in toward the center. Cook till 
it is of the desired consistency. The egg may be 
turned over, if it is desired that the yolk be 
hard. Eggs fried in too much fat will be 
leathery and indigestible, but if a little care be 
used, and the above directions followed, they 
may be as easily digested as if soft-boiled. 

If egg sandwiches are desired for lunch, put 



92 CAMPING 

one of the fried eggs between two slices of bread, 
flavor with salt and pepper. Have the size of 
the sandwich to fit the single egg. This is bet- 
ter than to make the double egg filling for the 
whole slice of bread. 

Scrambled Eggs: — Break the eggs in a dish, 
and beat the yolks and whites well together. 
Grease the bottom of the fry pan with butter, 
drop in the eggs and stir till done. Look out 
that it does not stick on at the bottom. Season 
with salt and pepper, after serving. 

Omelette: — Break four eggs into the mixing 
dish: beat them well, and season with salt and 
pepper; rub a tablespoonful of flour in four 
times that quantity of milk, till it is smooth; 
pour into the eggs and beat all together. Have 
the fry pan well greased with butter, pour in 
the mixture and let it cook till the bottom is well 
set, and the top will not run; slip a thin knife 
under one side and turn one-half over onto the 
other. Cook as much as' desired, turning occa- 
sionally, so that it will be evenly cooked. Don't 
let it burn onto the pan; if it shows signs of 
burning before it is sufficiently cooked, drop 



CAMP COOKING 93 

a little piece of butter in the spot where the 
danger lies, and hold off the fire for a moment. 

Ham Omelette: — Mince some boiled ham, 
season to taste with a little curry, or other con- 
diments, and lay a large spoonful on the ome- 
lette before you turn the two halves together. 

This fancy omelette may be varied in many 
ways. Minced beef, lamb, cheese, or even fish 
like salt cod and smoked halbut, gives the ome- 
lette a distinctive flavor. 

Omelette aux Fine Herbes: — Break eight 
eggs in the stew pan, to which add a teaspoonful 
of chopped shallot or mild onion, one of chopped 
parsley, half a teaspoonful of salt, a little pepper, 
and two large tablespoonfuls of cream; beat 
them well together. Put two ounces of butter 
in the fry pan, set over the fire, and as soon as 
the butter has melted, so the egg will not stick, 
pour in the mixture, and stir quickly until it 
begins to set ; hold it a moment till a crust forms 
on the bottom; turn one-half over the other, 
and serve. It must not be done too much. 

Fricasseed Eggs: — Boil a half dozen eggs 



94 CAMPING 

hard and slice them. Chop very fine a small 
onion, a little parsley or celery-leaves, and two 
or three mushrooms; put a generous lump of 
butter in the fry pan, season with salt and pep- 
per; when the butter is melted, lay in the vege- 
tables and heat thoroughly, but do not brown; 
add a gill of milk with a tablespoonful of flour 
rubbed in for thickening; lay in the eggs, let it 
come to a boil, and serve. 

VEGETABLES. 

All vegetables should be carefully looked over 
and washed in cold water. If to be boiled, drop 
them in boiling water, and if the water in the 
kettle gets low during the process, fill up with 
boiling water, never with cold. Keep the kettle 
covered, if possible, and drain off the water as 
soon as cooked. Some very strong flavored 
vegetables are improved by boiling in two wa- 
ters. That is, when they are partly cooked, 
drain off the water, and fill up with fresh hot 
water. The question is often asked, how long 
shall we boil them ? I never found any hard and 
fast rule. Perhaps the following table will be 
of assistance, but the time is variable. Small 
potatoes will cook five minutes quicker than 



CAMP COOKING 95 

large ones. It is a safe rule to cook until you 
can easily stick a splinter in the fleshy parts. 

Potatoes, boiled 20 to 30 minutes 

Sweet potatoes, boiled 45 minutes 

Shell beans, boiled 60 to 90 minutes 

String beans, boiled 60 minutes 

Green peas, boiled 20 to 40 minutes 

Green corn, boiled 10 to 15 minutes 

Asparagus, boiled 15 to 30 minutes 

Cabbage, dandelions, spinach and 

other " greens " 60 to 90 minutes 

Turnips, parsnips and carrots 60 to 90 minutes 

Onions 45 to 60 minutes 
Pay the farmer for what you take, or you may 
find yourself, as well as the vegetables, in hot 
water. 

Boiled Potatoes: — Wash thoroughly in cold 
water ; cut out all the decayed parts. Drop them 
in hot water and boil till you can easily stick a 
sliver into the largest. Drain off the water and 
set one side to steam. Select all potatoes for a 
boiling of about the same size, so one will not 
be cooked before another, as they are liable to 
burst their jackets and become water-soaked or 



96 CAMPING 

lost. If the potatoes are very old, peel off the 
skins, put a handful of salt in the water in which 
they are to be boiled ; have the water very hot 
and cook as quickly as possible. 

Mashed Potatoes: — After boiling, peel and 
mash thoroughly with a stick or the bottom of a 
clean bottle. Stir in salt, pepper, butter and 
enough milk to make the consistency that of 
dough. 

Baked Potatoes: — Cut off the ends, bury in 
the hot ashes and leave there for an hour, or un- 
til you can pinch them with the fingers. 

Boiled-fried Potatoes: — Peel the skins from 
cold boiled potatoes and slice. Have the bottom 
of the fry pan covered with " screeching hot " 
fat. Drop in the slices and stir frequently to 
prevent burning. When they are slightly brown 
they are ready to serve. 

Stewed Potatoes: — Cut cold boiled potatoes 
into small pieces. Put in the stew pan with 
enough milk to cover them. Season with salt, 
pepper and butter, and stew gently, stirring occa- 
sionally, until the milk is nearly boiled away. 



CAMP COOKING 97 

Lyonnaise Potatoes: — One quart cold boiled 
potatoes cut small, three tablespoons butter, one 
of chopped onions and one of chopped parsley, 
salt and pepper to taste. Season the potatoes 
with the salt and pepper, fry the onions in the 
butter, and when they are yellow, add the po- 
tatoes; stir with a fork, being careful not to 
break them; when hot add the parsley and cook 
two minutes longer. Serve at once. 

Potato Salad: — Ten medium-sized cold boiled 
potatoes, cut into small pieces; one small onion, 
chopped fine; half a dozen hard boiled eggs; 
chop the whites fine, mash the yolks and add to 
them one teaspoon each of ground mustard and 
sugar, one tablespoon of melted butter, some salt 
and pepper. Rub all together well and put in 
the potatoes, with about four tablespoonfuls of 
salad dressing. (This can be purchased in bot- 
tles, and will save much trouble in making.) 
Add about half a cup of vinegar. If you can 
get some celery, chop up about as much as there 
is of the potato, and mix all together. Lettuce, 
kale, parsley or any green salad plant will do 
instead of the celery, or the salad plant may be 
omitted altogether, in which case, be more spar- 
ing of the vinegar in the dressing. 



98 CAMPING 

Boiled Green Corn: — The flavor of the corn 
is better preserved if it is cooked in the husk. 
Pull off the outer husk, turn down the inner 
leaves, pull off the silk and turn back the inner 
husk and tie the ends. Put some salt in the 
water as soon as it comes to a boil and drop in 
the corn. Do not let it stay in longer than is 
necessary to make it soft. If one does not wish 
to cook it this way, follow the same plan after 
taking off the husk. 

Succotash — (so called): Cut the corn from 
the cob and shell the beans. The proportion 
should be two-thirds corn and' one-third beans. 
Put into the kettle with a generous piece of pork, 
and boil till tender. Take out the pork, drain 
off the water, add a cup of milk and a piece of 
butter the size of an egg, and stir over the fire 
till it boils up. Take off the fire and season to 
taste with salt and pepper. 

This is not the real succotash of the south- 
eastern section of Massachusetts, where it was 
first transmitted from the Indian to the first 
settlers. Nearly every one of the old colonial 
families has its receipt for this dish, and few 
of them are alike in their detail. They are all 



CAMP COOKING 99 

good enough. Suffice it to say that the body is 
composed of salt beef, pork, chicken, veal, and 
in many cases the remnants of the dinner, what- 
ever it may have been, in the line of meat, saved 
by the frugal housewife. Here is one method 
as given me by one of the old-time mothers of 
the Cape. 

Cape Cod Succotash: — Boil a piece of salt 
beef for an hour till the salt has got soaked out 
of it. Drain off the water and fill up with fresh, 
cold water. Put in some chicken, a piece of 
pork about a quarter as big as the beef, and 
boil till it all comes to pieces. Scrape off the 
corn from the cobs and put in with about half 
as many beans, and cook till the beans are ten- 
der. Season to taste. Of course green shell 
beans are what is intended in the above. 

Boiled Beets: — Wash the beets, but do not 
break the skin, for that will make them bleed, 
and thus lose some of the sweetness. Put them 
in boiling water, enough to cover them, and 
leave till they are tender. Drain off the water 
and drop them in cold water, when the skin may 
be easily rubbed off. If there are any left from 



ioo CAMPING 

the meal, slice them into a shallow dish and 
cover them with vinegar. This is a splendid 
relish. 

Pork and Greens: — I am requested to men- 
tion the variety of plants which may be used for 
this homely dish. No one need to go hungry 
in the country, for the fields are filled with edi- 
ble plants. Their list would be legion, but I 
will mention a few: Dandelion, nettles, milk- 
weed, spinach, beet-tops, turnip-tops, mustard, 
narrow dock, cowslip (marsh marigold), kale, 
poke, brussels sprouts, cabbage, purslane, shep- 
herd's purse, and a myriad others. Any of the 
above, cleaned and boiled till tender with a gen- 
erous piece of pork, and served with boiled pota- 
toes, is not only satisfying, but is an excellent 
corrective for the system. Of course, it is un- 
derstood that the young plants or shoots are the 
portions to be used. You might as well try to 
get nourishment from a piece of wood, if you 
try to use them after the hard fiber has formed 
in these plants. 

Stewed Tomatoes: — Peel by pouring boiling 
water over them, when the skin will easily come 
off. Cut up in the stew pan, throwing out the 



CAMP COOKING 101 

hard and unripe parts. Stew gently until they 
come to pieces; season with butter, salt, pepper 
and a little sugar if desired. 

Baked Beans: — This New England dish is 
almost a sine qua non in the Eastern woods camp, 
and is seen nowhere else in its perfection. Pick 
over a quart of beans, discarding all poor ones. 
Parboil until the skin starts. Drain off the wa- 
ter and throw it far away from the camp, for it 
does not smell particularly sweet. Put half the 
beans in the bean pot, then a generous junk of 
fat salt pork, then the rest of the beans, so that 
the pork shall be bedded. A little salt and some 
molasses, the quantity depending on the taste, 
will complete the list. Pour in enough hot wa- 
ter to cover the beans. Put on the cover of the 
pot, and set in the hot ashes of the bean hole, 
just before you go to bed. Rake the coals over 
it, put a few sticks on top, so the ashes will keep 
hot, and go to bed. In the morning rake out 
the bean pot, and you will find them nicely 
baked, and redolent of that aroma so dear to 
every Yankee. If you do not relish it, so much 
the worse for you, and so much the better for 
the rest of the party, for there will be more for 
them. 



102 CAMPING 

Macaroni: — Break the sticks of macaroni 
into convenient lengths; put in the stew pan 
with hot salted water and cook till tender. Stew 
half a can of tomatoes till you can mash them up 
with the spoon and pick out the skin and the 
hard lumps ; put in a lump of butter, a little salt 
and pepper, and thicken with flour and water, 
rubbed smooth. Pour this over the macaroni 
and serve. 

MUSHROOMS. 

At the earnest request of a friend, but with 
fear and trembling at the possible results, do I 
include this chapter in these notes. There is 
no shadow of doubt that men have gone hungry 
in the midst of plenty, from the lack of knowl- 
edge of the food that was all around them. But 
the average camper, with his meager knowledge 
of mycology, generally feels that eating wild 
mushrooms is much like living over a powder 
magazine. If a person of average intelligence 
will take the pains so to educate himself that 
he can surely identify the edible varieties, and 
it needs no more than that, there is no more dan- 
ger than is present in eating the fish you catch 
from the lakes. But if you are not positive that 
you can identify each specimen as you gather it, 



CAMP COOKING 103 

let it go, and confine yourself to those that you 
do know are harmless. My experience in this 
direction has been so limited, that I am obliged to 
copy, in most cases, from the experience of 
others. There is no space here to go into de- 
scriptions of species, but the literature on the 
subject is so easily obtainable, that there seems 
no need to do so. 

Broiled Russula: — Thoroughly clean the top 
or peel off the skin; place the cap on a gridiron 
over a hot fire, gills downward, and heat through, 
but do not scorch. Turn over and repeat the 
process; lay on a hot plate, gills upward and 
drop on a piece of butter with a little salt and 
pepper. 

Vegetable Oyster — A. ostreatus: — This spe- 
cies grows out of the sides of trees and stumps. 
Broil the young and tender specimens the same 
as in the last instance; or they may be fried in 
butter, or in batter, or in fact any way that the 
real oyster is cooked. As a stew it is delicious. 

The Elm Mushroom, a species of the last 
named family, is cooked in the same manner, 
but the flavor is decidedly that of fish. 



104 CAMPING 

Shaggy-mane Coprinus: — Put in a stew pan 
with a little milk, add a piece of butter, a little 
pepper and salt. 

Or, put about two ounces of butter in the 
stew pan with a teaspoonful of salt and a little 
pepper, with a slight pinch of powdered mace or 
nutmeg. Put in a pint of mushrooms and stew 
for a few minutes; then add a little milk and 
stew for about twenty minutes, or till they are 
tender. Thicken the gravy with a little flour 
rubbed up in milk. 

Stewed Chantarelle: — Soak the mushrooms in 
milk over night; chop up some boiled meat, 
chicken, veal or lamb preferred; mix and stew 
till tender; flavor with salt and pepper. 

Vegetable Beefsteak: — Slice young specimens 
and broil over the coals, the same as you would 
a nice cut off the rump. Do not spoil it with 
too much condiment. 

Fried Clavaria: — This delicious fungus is 
very common and so free from insect enemies, 
that pounds of it may be gathered in almost any 
woods. Simply fried in the pan with butter or 
oil, and properly seasoned, it has furnished an 



CAMP COOKING 105 

addition to many a meager meal of the ones who 
understood its value. 

Puff Balls: — Pick out the specimens with 
white meat (they turn black as they grow older), 
fry in butter and serve on toast. They are as 
good as eggs. 

After you have tried these and have become 
a confirmed mycophagist, you will have obtained 
literature on the subject and know how to adapt 
the cooking to the characteristics of the species. 

Warning: — Be sure that you have young 
specimens, clean and free from the ravages of 
insects. 

DESSERTS. 

Rice Pudding: — Boiled rice, about a quart; 
one can of condensed milk ; one-half cup of sugar 
or molasses; ground nutmeg or mace to taste: 
sufficient water to keep it from burning; one or 
two eggs, if you have them: stir together and 
cook over a slow fire for fifteen minutes, stir- 
ring occasionally to keep from burning. Good, 
hot or cold. 

Corn-starch Pudding: — Heat three pints of 



106 CAMPING 

milk to boiling, and watch it that it does not boil 
over; have three tablespoonfuls of corn starch 
rubbed up in a little cold milk ; add two eggs and 
a little salt, beat it together, and when the milk is 
boiling stir the mixture into it. It will immedi- 
ately thicken up, when it must be taken from the 
fire, turned out into a dish, and set one side to 
cool. Serve with sugar and milk. 

Tapioca Pudding: — Buy the " minute tapio- 
ca " ; it saves time. If you have only the other 
kind, soak it in milk till it swells up soft. Stir into 
a quart of the jelly, or the advertised allowance 
of the " minute " brand with enough milk to 
make the quantity, two eggs, a little salt, spice to 
taste, and set over the fire till it comes to a boil. 
Set off the fire, and just before serving, put in 
a dash of lemon juice or }4 teaspoonful of es- 
sence of lemon. 

Apple Slump: — Fill the kettle half full of 
sliced and cored apples ; sprinkle on a little spice, 
one cup of sugar or molasses; cover over and 
cook for a few minutes. Prepare a crust the 
same as for bread or biscuits, stirring y^ tea- 
spoonful of salt and two of baking powder into 
a pint of flour, and wetting with milk or water 



CAMP COOKING 107 

till it makes a stiff dough. Lay this dough over 
the top of the apples, cover and steam till the 
crust rises and you can thrust a sliver into the 
crust without the dough sticking to it. Set off 
the fire and keep covered till needed. Serve 
with pudding sauce } or with milk and sugar. ■ 

Pudding Sauce: — One pint of water in the 
stew pan ; mix three tablespoonfuls of flour in a 
little cold water and rub it to a smooth paste: 
when the water boils, put in a small lump of but- 
ter, a cup of sugar, a little spice, and when the 
sugar is dissolved stir in the flour paste. If the 
water is boiling when the flour is put in, it will 
thicken up into a jelly. Just before serving stir 
in a little lemon juice or extract. If this flavor 
is put in too soon, the savor will evaporate. 
This sauce may be made of milk if you have it. 
If condensed milk is used, dilute it with water, 
and do not use so much sugar. 

Plain Flour Pudding: — Mix a quart of flour, 
and a tablespoonful of baking powder, and a tea- 
spoonful of salt in water enough to make a thick 
dough. Dip a cloth bag in hot water, dust the 
inside with dry flour 2 put in the dough, and tie 
up, leaving room for the pudding to swell. Place 



io8 CAMPING 

in boiling water enough to cover the bag, and 
boil for two hours. Serve with syrup or pudding 
sauce. 

Plum Pudding: — One quart of flour, three- 
fourths of a pound of raisins, three-fourths of 
a pound of fat salt pork well washed and cut into 
small pieces, two tablespoonfuls of sugar or a lit- 
tle molasses. Mix in just sufficient water to wet 
it well. Some think it is improved by the addi- 
tion of a tablespoonful of baking powder stirred 
into the flour before mixing. Boil in a bag, as in 
the case of the plain flour pudding. The pud- 
ding will come out of the bag easier, if it is 
plunged into cold water for an instant, as soon 
as it is taken out of the kettle. Do not let it 
set in the bag. All bag-puddings must be kept 
covered with water and kept boiling violently all 
the time they are on the fire. Also they must be 
mixed with as little water as possible. Other- 
wise they will either be soggy or will be a mush 
from absorption of the water in the pot. 

Fig Pudding: — Cut 6 figs in pieces, cover 
with cold water and let it come to a boil over a 
slow fire; put into a dish and add 2 teaspoon- 
fuls of sugar. Beat up an egg with a pinch of 
salt and a tablespoonful of sugar, one of flour, 



CAMP COOKING 109 

and stir it into a half pint of boiling milk. As 
soon as it thickens, pour the mixture over the 
figs in the dish. I have forgotten where I saw 
this receipt, but I am going to appropriate it and 
the author will please accept my thanks right 
here, if he sees this, for it is good. 

DRINKS. 

Coffee: — The finest drink for the camper is 
good coffee, but there is more coffee spoiled in 
making than would drown all the fraternity. 
Coffee boiled is coffee spoiled. The simplest 
method is to put in the can one tablespoonful of 
finely ground coffee for each person to be served, 
and one more for the pot. When the water is 
boiling hard, turn in a cupful for each person and 
one more for a possible extra. Cover tight and 
set where it will keep hot and not boil, for fif- 
teen minutes. The grounds will settle of their 
own accord. If wanted in a hurry, let it set a 
few minutes and then stir with a clean stick. 
This will saturate the grains more quickly, but 
it is at a slight expense of aroma. 

Black Coffee — (Cafe noir) : Have a perco- 
lator or large strainer; put in one cupful of 
ground coffee to each quart of water. Have the 



no CAMPING 

water boiling and pour it slowly through the per- 
colator. The surface of the water should be 
just above the coffee in the strainer, when the 
allowance is in the pot. Keep it hot, but do not 
let it boil. A good strainer is made of a piece 
of gauze sewn on to a ring of wire a little larger 
than the mouth of the pot. Keep the pot covered 
tightly. 

Gloria: — Make the same as cafe noir. 
Sweeten well and pour a little fine brandy over 
the bowl of a spoon, into each cup. Set fire to 
the spirit, and when half consumed blow out the 
fire and drink. A good quality of brandy must 
be used or it will not blaze. 

Tea: — Use a teaspoonful of tea to each cup. 
Have the water boiling, and use fresh water. 
Put the tea in the pot and pour the water over 
it. Let it set for a few minutes, in a warm place, 
to " draw." 

And now, in the hopes that these records of 
camp experiences may save some unlucky wight, 
who spoils the dinner because he did not know 
how to cook, from the " cobbing " that he richly 



CAMP COOKING in 

deserves, we will close with the line of the poet 
who had just had a square meal: 

" — But where is the man who can live without 
dining." 



INDEX. 



PAGE 

Apple slump 106 

Bacon, fried 76 

Bags, for holding food 20 

sleeping 19 

Baker 18 

Batter-cakes 61 

Barbecue, dressing. . . 79 

meat 78 

Beans boiled 95 

baked 101 

soup 72 

Bean-hole 101 

Bedding 14 

Beds 36 

canvas 38 

browse 37 

pole 37 

Beef, boiled 77 

Beets, boiled 99 

Black flies 43 

Blankets 19 

Boots 20 

Broiler 15 

Bread, baked 60 

frying-pan 40-61 

Cakes, batter 61 

oatmeal 62 

rice 62 

spider 61 

Camp beds 37 

fire 38 

making 33~35 

I 



PAGE 

Camp, permanent 12 

shelters 22 

temporary night... 53 

Canvas clothing 20 

Cat-fish, cleaning 49 

Cereals, cooking 64 

Chowder, clam 71 

fish 69 

Southern style 69 

Daniel Webster 70 

Chanterelle, stewed. . . 104 

Chimney to log house 32 

Clams, baked 90 

chowder 71 

fried , . 89 

Clavaria, fried 104 

Clothes 14-20 

Coffee, black 109 

can 17 

Gloria no 

to make 109 

Companions, choice of 33 

Compass, use of 52 

local variation 52 

Cooking in camp 59 

utensils 15 

Coprinus, shaggy mane 104 

Corn, boiled green... 98 

meal mush 63 

Curry of rabbit 82 

Desserts 105 

Eggs, boiled 91 

fricasseed 93 



13 



H4 



CAMPING 



PAGE 

Eggs, fried 91 

on hash 79 

omelette 92 

sandwiches 91 

scrambled 92 

Fils-d'une-chienne ... 65 

Fire, camp 38-41 

cooking 38 

on rainy day 41 

Firearms 13 

Fireplace 38-39 

Fish balls 90 

bag 45 

baked 86-88 

boiled 85 

broiled 87 

care of 45 

cleaning 44 

cooking 84 

fried 85 

knife 46 

planked 88 

preparing . . 84 

sauce 86 

skewered 87 

spoiled, danger from 49 

Flapjacks 61 

Food, cooking 59 

preparation 21 

quantity needed. . .15-16 
Fricassee partridge. .. 83 

Fried bacon 76 

bread 61 

clavaria 104 

eggs 79-91 

fish 85 

ham 76 

meats 18-75 

mush 63 

potatoes 96 

pork 75 



PAGE 

Fried rabbit 81 

squirrel 80 

sausages 77 

Frypan 17 

Game, cooking 79 

dressing for food. . 80 

Grouse roasted in clay 82 

fricassee 83 

Ham and eggs 76 

Hashed, meat 78 

Hats 20 

Health, care of. .20-35-50 

Hornpouts, cleaning. . 49 

Hut, built of logs 29 

Insect repellent 43 

Kettle 16 

Knife for cleaning 

fish 46 

Lean-to camps 27-28 

Liquor in camp. ..... ^ 

Lob-scouse 68 

Lost in the woods... 51 

searching for 54 

Macaroni 102 

Meat, barbecued 78 

cooking of 73 

dark, cooking 74 

white, cooking 74 

Mosquito netting 42 

repellent 42-43 

Mush 63 

Mushrooms 102 

broiled 103 

Elm 103 

selection of 102-105 

Nessmuk 12 



INDEX 



ii5 



PAGE 

Omelette, egg 92 

ham 93 

aux fine herbes 93 

Outfits for camping. . 11 

for permanent camp 15 

for trip on foot 14 

Oven 18-41 

Oysters fried with 

bacon 89 

stew J3 

vegetable 103 

Paymaster 34 

Perch, yellow, dress- 
ing 47 

white, dressing 48 

fried 85 

Pickerel, dressing.... 48 

Pillow 19 

Pork, broiled 76 

choice of 76 

chops 75 

fried 75 

and greens 100 

Potatoes, baked 96 

boiled 95 

boiled-fried 96 

lyonnaise 97 

mashed 96 

salad 97 

stewed 96 

Preparing for camp.. 33 

Pudding, apple 106 

corn-starch 105 

fig 108 

flour 107 

plum 108 

rice 105 

sauce 107 

tapioca 106 

Puff-balls, fried 105 

" Punkey-dope " 43 



PAGE 

Quail, roasted 81 

Rabbit, curry 82 

fried 81 

Rain, effect on tent. . 23 

building fire in 41 

Rations for camp... 15-16 

Rice, boiled 63 

pudding 105 

Roasting in the ashes 18 

Roast grouse 82 

meat in clay 82 

Rubber blanket 19 

Russula, broiled 103 

Salad, vegetable 100 

potato 97 

Sausages, fried 77 

Shelters 22 

Size of party 34 

Skunk stew 67 

preparing for cook- 
ing 68 

Sleeping bag 19 

Soups, bean 72 

pea 72 

turtle 67 

meat 65 

Spider-cake 61 

Squirrel 67-73-80 

Steaks, broiling 74 

vegetable 104 

Stew; beef 65 ^ 

camp 65 *^ 

oyster 73 

rabbit 66 

skunk 67 

tomato 100 

venison 66 

Succotash 98 

Cape Cod style 99 

Supplies, list of 15-21 



n6 



CAMPING 



PAGE 

Tapioca pudding 106 

Tea no 

Tent, A 23 

dog 26 

effect of rain on... 23 

pitching 24 

shanty 24 

wall 23 

Toast, milk 64 

Tomatoes, stewed.... 100 



PAGE 

Trench around tent. . 24 
Trout cleaning 49 

Vegetables, selection 

of 94 

time required to 
cook 95 

Walking trips 12-14 

Woodcock, roasted. . . 81 
Wood, choice of 40 



APR 19 1909 



iiil 




Ill 



; i 



■ 
II 
11 



